UN warns of healthcare collapse in Gaza as Israel continues to deny access to fuel

The UN sounded the alarm on Tuesday about the collapse of essential healthcare services in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli authorities continue to block access to fuel and vital aid.

"Our humanitarian partners report that access to essential healthcare remains extremely limited for people across the Gaza Strip, especially for the most vulnerable groups," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a press briefing.

Dujarric said more than 150,000 women are at risk of developing serious health complications.

"The fuel situation is rapidly deteriorating, with available benzene almost exhausted and these oil reserves critically low," he warned, adding that remaining reserves are being prioritized for healthcare, water sanitation and telecommunications systems.

“Our humanitarian partners have made repeated attempts to withdraw fuel from areas that are currently inaccessible, either because they are under active evacuation orders or are located in restricted areas that require humanitarian movements to be coordinated with the Israeli authorities,” he said. “However, our attempts to access these areas are regularly denied,” he said, adding that “just today, the Israeli authorities denied an attempt by UN agencies to withdraw fuel from Rafah.”

"Overall, we and our partners tried to coordinate five movements today, but four of them were rejected. The only exception was related to staff rotation and not deliveries," he said.

The Israeli military renewed its attack on Gaza on March 18, breaking a January 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with the resistance group Hamas.

More than 52,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli offensive since October 2023.

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 lawsuit at the International Court of Justice for its war in the enclave.

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