​​​​​​HAMILTON, Canada 

The UN warned Tuesday that humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip are on the brink “of shutting down” because of Israel's continued blockade and denial of access to fuel and supplies.

"The Israeli authorities continue to routinely deny our access to larger, urgently needed fuel reserves in areas such as Rafah," UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said at a news conference, citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). He added that "time is running out" for aid operations.

"Our humanitarian partners have gone above and beyond to try and sustain life-saving support," said Haq, citing efforts to provide hot meals, clean water, hygiene kits and health services despite severe shortages.

"Humanitarian operations are on the verge of shutting down, as less member states with influence press Israel to allow the immediate entry of the central humanitarian supplies at a scale that meets the needs of all civilians," he said.

Responding to a question about how close the UN is to a full shutdown of aid efforts, Haq said: "To be honest, some things have already shut down. Bakeries have closed. Many hospitals are non-functional … either because of a lack of food, lack of fuel or lack of facilities that are undamaged."

He stressed that while limited aid the UN has in its stocks continues to reach some areas, "it’s not enough."

Asked by Anadolu about Israel's announcement to reoccupy Gaza and flatten remaining buildings, Haq said the UN strongly opposes the destruction of homes and critical infrastructure.

"We want to make sure that there are places for people in Gaza to live, and we've been speaking out against the constant destruction and the constant movement that the population in Gaza has been forced to undergo," he said.

Haq noted that while war crime determinations are left to the courts, "any forced displacement of population could be a war crime, and has been regarded as such under international law."

More than 52,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.