Over 100,000 Trapped in Northern Gaza Amid Blockade, Dire Shortages of Food, Medicine, and Medical Support
Over 100,000 civilians remain trapped in northern Gaza under intense siege, with 60% of them being women and children, Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told Al Mayadeen on Sunday. Basal reported that the area is deprived of basic medical services, leaving residents without access to treatment as Israel’s military has prevented any operational medical systems from functioning in the region.
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Basal explained that northern Gaza's Civil Defense is inundated with desperate pleas from residents seeking rescue and assistance for those trapped under rubble. He confirmed that the only medical teams currently active in the area are civilian volunteers, emphasizing that Israel’s forces appear intent on preventing any formal medical support from reaching the besieged population. He highlighted the worsening shortages of food and medicine in northern Gaza, underscoring the grim reality: 137 bodies remain buried beneath the rubble of a building in Beit Lahia destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.
According to preliminary figures, over 1,300 people in northern Gaza have been killed within the last month under the intensified Israeli blockade, with northern areas like Jabalia Camp and Beit Lahia experiencing severe isolation and non-stop bombardments.
UN Describes Northern Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis as ‘Apocalyptic’
The United Nations issued a stark warning Friday, describing conditions in northern Gaza as “apocalyptic,” with the population at imminent risk from disease, starvation, and ongoing violence. Heads of UN humanitarian, health, refugee, and children’s agencies issued a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire and safe access for aid.
“The situation in northern Gaza is apocalyptic,” the UN’s joint statement read, noting that residents have been cut off from essential supplies amidst constant bombardment. The statement highlighted that needs for women and children are escalating, while support systems for healthcare, reproductive services, and protection against gender-based violence have largely collapsed.
The UN has received reports of civilians being targeted as they attempt to flee to safer areas and men and boys being detained without information on their whereabouts. The UN leadership urged Israel to allow humanitarian access and warned that continued violence could destabilize the broader Middle East. The UN emphasized that hospitals and medical facilities must be protected and not used as battlegrounds, reiterating calls for an unconditional, sustained ceasefire.
UN leaders insisted that an urgent international response is critical to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.