The United Nations was permitted to deliver 75,000 litres of fuel to Gaza, the first shipment in 130 days, as stated by the spokesperson for the secretary-general.
Gaza, a small strip of land with a population exceeding two million, had been under a prolonged Israeli-led blockade prior to the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Nevertheless, the spokesperson noted that the amount was still “far from enough” to address the shortages in the war-affected region.
“We and our humanitarian partners require hundreds of thousands of liters of fuel daily to sustain essential operations that save lives. Thus, the quantity received yesterday does not meet even one day’s energy needs,” remarked Stephane Dujarric.
Doctors at Gaza’s largest hospital reported that severe fuel shortages have forced them to place multiple premature infants in single incubators as they fight to keep the newborns alive while Israel continues its military offensive.
Death toll rises due to Israeli strikes
This comes as Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that at least 52 individuals, including eight children, lost their lives due to Israeli military action in the war-torn Palestinian territory, updating an earlier count.
Civil defense official Mohammad al-Mughair stated that 17 lives were claimed, including eight children and two women, in an Israeli airstrike near a medical facility in Deir el-Balah, located in central Gaza.
The series of airstrikes occurred mere hours after Hamas, which governs Gaza, declared its willingness to release ten Israeli hostages as part of ceasefire negotiations in Qatar.
The high death toll follows reports from the agency indicating that 26 people were killed across Gaza yesterday, with 29 fatalities on Tuesday and 12 on Monday.
Mr. al-Mughair added that an Israeli aircraft targeted “a gathering of civilians in front of a medical facility.”
Smoke billows in Khan Younis following Israeli strikes yesterday
Two individuals were killed in separate strikes on the Nuseirat camp, while four others perished at the Bureij camp, both located in central Gaza, Mr. al-Mughair reported.
Five people residing in tents in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in the southern region were also lost, he added.
There was no immediate response from the Israeli military.
The conflict commenced after Hamas militants attacked Israeli border communities on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,219 individuals, the majority of whom were civilians.
According to the health ministry of Gaza, Israeli retaliatory strikes have claimed the lives of at least 57,680 Palestinians, most of whom are civilians.
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The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.
EU announces Israel has agreed to ‘expand’ aid access to Gaza
The European Union has finalized an agreement with Israel to enhance aid access to Gaza, which is expected to facilitate the entry of more food trucks and the opening of additional crossing points, according to the EU’s chief diplomat.
“Today, we reached an agreement with Israel to broaden humanitarian access to Gaza,” stated European Union foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas on X.
“This deal will result in more crossings opening, aid and food trucks entering Gaza, the repair of crucial infrastructure, and the protection of aid workers. We rely on Israel to execute every agreed measure,” Ms. Kallas added.
In her statement, Ms. Kallas noted that the measures agreed upon by Israel “are or will be implemented shortly, with a common understanding that aid must be delivered directly to the population at scale.”
She indicated that the steps include a “significant increase in the daily trucks transporting food and non-food items” into Gaza, the opening of several additional crossing points in both the northern and southern regions, and the reopening of routes from Jordan and Egypt.
The EU mentioned that this agreement should facilitate an increase in food truck entries into Gaza.
“The EU is prepared to coordinate with all relevant humanitarian stakeholders, UN agencies, and NGOs on the ground to ensure the rapid execution of these urgent actions,” the statement read.
This move comes as Israel and Hamas continue to negotiate the details of a US-supported ceasefire agreement to end the conflict.
The EU has been considering actions against Israel after determining it in violation of a cooperation agreement because of its conduct in Gaza.
However, the 27-nation bloc has struggled to reach a consensus on what measures to take due to divisions between staunch supporters of Israel and those backing the Palestinians.
Gaza truce may be attainable in one or two weeks, but not in a day – Israeli official
According to a senior Israeli official, Israel and Hamas might reach a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement within one or two weeks, but securing such an arrangement is unlikely within a single day.
During Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, the official stated that if both parties agree to a proposed 60-day ceasefire, Israel would utilize this time to propose a permanent ceasefire conditional on the disarmament of the Palestinian militant group.
Should Hamas decline, “we’ll proceed” with military actions in Gaza, the official noted, speaking on condition of anonymity.
US President Donald Trump met with Mr. Netanyahu on Tuesday for the second time in two days to discuss the situation in Gaza, with the president’s Middle East envoy indicating that Israel and Hamas were nearing an agreement on a US-brokered ceasefire proposal following 21 months of conflict.
Palestinians navigate through the debris of damaged buildings following attacks in Khan Younis yesterday.
Previously, Mr. Trump had expressed the possibility of achieving a deal this week, raising anticipation for an announcement before Mr. Netanyahu returns to Israel later today.
However, Mr. Trump appeared to extend the timeline slightly yesterday, stating to reporters that while an agreement was “very close,” it might occur this week or possibly next, though “not definitively.”
A source familiar with Hamas’ perspective mentioned that four days of indirect discussions with Israel in Qatar did not yield any breakthroughs on key sticking points.
The Israeli official, who briefed reporters in Washington, opted not to provide specifics regarding the negotiations.
Mr. Trump’s Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff informed reporters during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the expected agreement would encompass the release of ten living hostages and nine deceased ones.
Benjamin Netanyahu is anticipated to return to Israel today.
This visit occurred just over two weeks after the president authorized bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities to support Israeli air strikes.
Mr. Trump subsequently facilitated a ceasefire in the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict.
Trump and his aides have made attempts to leverage any momentum generated by the weakening of Iran, which supports Hamas, to advocate for both parties to reach a resolution to end the Gaza war.
