ALBAWABA - On his first visit to the besieged Gaza Strip, the commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini described the situation in the enclave as "unprecedented".
In a statement the UNRWA released regarding the visit, Lazzarini said: "This is the first time I have been allowed in since the beginning of this horrific war, almost four weeks ago...The scale of the tragedy is unprecedented,".
"The levels of distress and the unsanitary living conditions were beyond comprehension. Everyone was just asking for water and food," Lazzarini added.
In one of his stops, the UNRWA chief visited a school where thousands of Palestinians took refuge due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 7.
In an earlier statement, UNRWA said that more than 670,000 people are sheltering in nearly 150 overcrowded UNRWA installations across Gaza. Also, at least 70 UNRWA staff members have been killed in Gaza so far.
As the situation steeply deteriorates, The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees said Wednesday an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in the Gaza Strip is "a matter of life and death" Anadolu agency reported.
"The level of destruction is unprecedented. The human tragedy unfolding before us is unbearable" the UNRWA statement read.
The statement added that providing humanitarian assistance is extremely challenging due to the lack of fuel, ongoing bombardment, and destruction of infrastructure.
After 25 days of intense hostilities, civilians in the Gaza Strip face desperate conditions. Loss of life, internal displacement, widespread destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, collapse of the health system, lack of fuel, and limited availability of basic assistance are some of the enormous challenges people face amid the intensifying conflict.
Hamas operation against Israel
Hamas military group announced on Oct. 7 a military operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel which is the biggest offensive in decades.
Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip captured military bases and took hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel and others paragliding into occupation territory.
In response, Israeli armed forces announced targeting Hamas positions inside the Gaza Strip. Thousands were killed, and dozens of thousands of others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
