On Wednesday morning, she made comments while reports were circulating about an Israeli Defense Forces operation at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. The hospital has experienced power outages, resulting in the deaths of patients, including premature babies.

Martin Griffiths, the UN relief chief, stated on social media platform X that hospitals should not be treated as battlefields. He stressed that the well-being of newborns, patients, medical personnel, and all civilians should be prioritized above all else.

‘Grave violations’ 

Ms. Russell strongly denounced the serious breaches of child rights carried out by the conflicting parties and expressed her commitment to advocating for the safety of children during her visit to Gaza.

She stated that within the Strip, there is no place of safety for the one million children in Gaza. She emphasized that over 4,600 children have been reported as deceased and almost 9,000 have been wounded.

Several young individuals are thought to be trapped beneath the debris of destroyed structures, a dire consequence of utilizing explosive devices in densely populated regions, as stated by the speaker.

Ceasefire now

The head of UNICEF shared that she received distressing accounts from her organization’s team on the field and emphasized the danger faced by humanitarian workers in Gaza. In just a short span since October 7th, 102 personnel from the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have lost their lives in the region.

Ms. Russell stressed the need for an urgent ceasefire to address humanitarian concerns, the liberation of all children who have been taken or detained, and the provision of secure and uninterrupted access for aid workers to assist those in need.

‘Horrific situation’

According to Mr. Griffiths, the leading aid representative for the UN, the main concern is safeguarding the citizens of Gaza, taking into account solely humanitarian factors and disregarding any military implications.

He emphasized that the people in Gaza are facing a terrible state where they have no means of escape and are being forced to relocate in hazardous circumstances.

More than 1.5 million individuals in Gaza are believed to have been displaced within their own region, with approximately 787,000 seeking refuge in 154 shelters operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The overwhelming number of people in these shelters is causing the rapid spread of illnesses.

On Wednesday, Mr. Griffiths from the UN’s humanitarian affairs coordination office, OCHA, stated that displaced individuals living in makeshift tents in the southern Gaza area are currently facing issues with heavy rain and flooding due to lack of space in shelters.

© UNRWA/Ashraf Amra

Palestinian residents are still leaving the northern region of the Gaza Strip.

The aid trucks are currently not moving.

Regarding the shortage of fuel, which has been prohibited from entering the Strip since the crisis began, Mr. Griffiths stated that “we require a minimum of two hundred thousand liters to resume our operations.”

On Tuesday evening, UNRWA reported that their trucks in Gaza were unable to collect aid being delivered from Egypt via the Rafah border due to a lack of fuel.

On Tuesday evening, media sources revealed that Israel authorized the use of 24,000 liters of diesel fuel for UN trucks. However, the timing and method of delivery remain uncertain.

‘Ready to go’

According to Mr. Griffiths, it is crucial to have a ceasefire in order to allow the private sector to function and for depleted stores to replenish their supplies. He emphasized that this is just as significant, if not more so, than our own operations.

“We are currently stationed at the Gaza borders in Rafah, directly facing the people. Our goal is to reach out to them and provide assistance,” he emphasized in his request for entry.

“He stated that this is a typical approach in times of crisis.”

Source: news.un.org