Gaza enters longest stretch without aid as Israel continues airstrikes
Share and Follow


No food or supplies have entered Gaza since in over three weeks, the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees said Friday, making it the longest stretch without aid entering the enclave, as Israel intensifies its military operations amid the crushing near-complete blockade, plunging the Gaza Strip into deeper desperation.

“Critical supplies, including food and medical equipment, are severely depleted and urgently needed to address the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis,” said an UNRWA report published Friday.

The World Food Programme said in an operational update Thursday that it only had enough food stocks to last another two weeks, “if supplies are stretched.”

“Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are again at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition as humanitarian food stocks in the Strip dwindle and borders remain closed to aid,” the WFP said. 

The UNRWA report noted that on March 18, after Israel broke its ceasefire with Hamas with intense airstrikes, over 180 children were killed in single day, which UNICEF called “one of the largest single-day child death tolls in the last year.”

The death toll since the current conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023 has since surpassed 50,000, according to health authorities.

On Friday evening, an Israeli missile struck the Awad family home in Al-Zaytoun, east of Gaza City, killing 15 people, including seven women and five children, two of them toddlers.

An NBC News team captured the moment Atef Awad, a surviving family member, waited for rescuers to pull the bodies of his loved ones from the rubble. 

“This is Abdullah, 14 years old, and this is Najwa, just two years old,” he said. “The world celebrates the birthdays of its children, and we celebrate their deaths.”

The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While some grieve as their families are pulled from the wreckage, others search hospitals for missing loved ones. Inside Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, Daoud Awad lifted the shrouds of the dead, searching desperately for the bodies of his loved ones.

“Where is my daughter? Where is my son?” he called out, his voice cracking as he searched.

Abdullah Al-Majdalawi, a firefighter and rescue worker, described the immense challenges his team faces in retrieving bodies, citing the severe lack of equipment and resources. 

His story underscores the struggles faced by aid workers in the enclave, who put their lives at risk to help survivors.  

The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported Saturday that for the seventh consecutive day, the fate of nine emergency medics remains unknown after they were “besieged and targeted by Israeli forces” in Rafah.

PRCS also said Israeli authorities refused to allow rescue teams into the Tel al-Sultan area to search for the missing medics, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to “reveal the fate of the missing teams.”

UNRWA also reported that four staffers had been injured by Israeli strikes in March, and that several distribution centers in Gaza had suffered damage.

According to the local Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 50,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive.

Israel has stated its aim is to eliminate Hamas to prevent a repeat of the Oct. 7 attacks, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Israel has said it wants to eliminate Hamas to ensure that Oct. 7 will not be repeated, but it has become increasingly hostile in its rhetoric since breaking the ceasefire, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promising increasing military strength in its assault on Gaza, and threatening to take the land.

Israel’s aggression aligns with the United States’ more combative rhetoric against Hamas and Gaza with president Donald Trump threatening “the People of Gaza” earlier in March that if they continued to hold Israeli hostages, “you are DEAD!”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Israeli hostages freed, Iran hit, ceasefire held — 2025 shattered idea that US was exiting the Middle East

2025 Middle East Dynamics: Israeli Hostage Release, Iran Strikes, and Ceasefire Challenge US Exit Assumptions

For many years, Washington has signaled intentions to diminish its presence in…
Trump approves deployment of 350 National Guard members to New Orleans

Trump Authorizes 350 National Guard Troops for New Orleans: A Strategic Move for Enhanced Security

The Trump administration is mobilizing 350 National Guard troops to bolster New…
Wisconsin professor allegedly killed pregnant mistress and dog after she refused abortion

Wisconsin Professor Accused of Killing Pregnant Partner and Her Dog Following Dispute Over Abortion

A Wisconsin professor faces serious charges after allegedly murdering his pregnant mistress…
Jet crash carrying Libya’s top general triggers airspace shutdown over NATO capital

Libya’s Top General’s Fatal Jet Crash Sparks NATO Capital Airspace Shutdown

On Tuesday night, Turkey temporarily closed the airspace above its capital following…
PGA issues cryptic statement on Brooks Koepka's LIV Golf departure

PGA Releases Enigmatic Statement Regarding Brooks Koepka’s Exit from LIV Golf

The PGA Tour has released a notably vague statement concerning Brooks Koepka’s…
Convicted killer Scott Peterson keeps swinging in court — but expert says he’s not going anywhere but his cell

Scott Peterson’s Legal Gambit: Why Experts Say His Prison Cell Is His Only Destination

Over 20 years have passed since Laci Peterson disappeared from her home…
New details on Hunter Biden's behavior at a sex club revealed by owner

Club Owner Discloses New Insights into Hunter Biden’s Conduct at Private Venue

Damon Lawner paints a vivid picture of Hunter Biden’s visit to an…
More than a third of states sue HHS over a move that could curtail youth gender-affirming care

Legal Showdown: Over a Dozen States Challenge HHS on Youth Gender-Affirming Care Restrictions

A legal challenge is unfolding as nineteen states, alongside the District of…