ISTANBUL

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Friday that humanitarian operations in Gaza are nearing collapse following two months of Israeli aid blockade and ongoing military attacks.

"Six weeks of intense hostilities, combined with a complete blockage of aid for two months, have left civilians without the essentials they need to survive," ICRC said in a written statement.

The humanitarian organization stressed it will soon be unable to maintain many of its aid programs without renewed access to food, medicine, and life-saving supplies. It recalled that under international humanitarian law, Israel is obliged to use all available means to meet the basic needs of civilians under its control.

"If the blockage continues, programmes such as the ICRC common kitchens—which often provide the only meal people receive each day—will only be able to operate for a few more weeks," the statement warned.

It also pointed to the worsening water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions in Gaza, warning that damage to water systems has created an unacceptably high risk of waterborne diseases.

"Civilians in Gaza are facing an overwhelming daily struggle to survive the dangers of hostilities, cope with relentless displacement, and endure the consequences of being deprived of urgent humanitarian assistance," said Pascal Hundt, ICRC's deputy director of operations.

"This situation must not—and cannot—be allowed to escalate further," he added.

Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory.

The Israeli army renewed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. It has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023.