Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians still in northern Gaza face unprecedented hardship after being isolated by Israeli military operations, while a medical convoy sent by the UN and partners was fired on in Gaza City, the Organization's humanitarians said on Wednesday.
The development came as foreign ministers from the G7 group of countries joined international calls on Wednesday for humanitarian pauses in the fighting to protect civilians, help bring in aid and support the release of the more than 240 hostages held captive in Gaza by Hamas since 7 October.
No bakeries are functioning in the north because of a lack of fuel, water and flour and no food or bottled water has been distributed there in a week, according to UN humanitarian affairs coordination office OCHA.
Convoy under fire
Due to the lack of medical supplies, hospitals in the north now conduct surgery without anaesthesia, UN health agency WHO said.
Adding to the dire healthcare picture, OCHA reported that a convoy of five trucks from WHO and the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), escorted by two vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) came under fire on its way to deliver lifesaving medical supplies to the Shifa and Al Quds hospitals in Gaza city on Tuesday.
Two trucks were damaged and a driver was injured, but the convoy ultimately reached Shifa hospital and made its delivery, OCHA said.
Evacuation trickle
Meanwhile, Israeli bombardments continued across the Gaza Strip while Palestinian armed groups continued launching projectiles toward Israel.
Israeli troops are reportedly inside Gaza City in pursuit of Hamas fighters responsible for the deadly 7 October attacks in southern Israel.
OCHA said that the Israeli military reiterated its evacuation orders to residents in the north and on Tuesday, for the fourth consecutive day, opened a "corridor" along a main traffic artery, giving residents a four-hour window to move southwards.
UN monitors estimate that up to 15,000 people may have used this route. OCHA stressed that "the majority, including children, elderly people and people with disabilities, arrived on foot with minimal belongings".
