Israeli occupation forces continue to block humanitarian aid to Gaza as Palestinian sources report three killed, while Doctors Without Borders denounce the use of aid as a bargaining chip.
Three Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip as Israeli occupation forces continued to close the Kerem Abu Salem crossing for the 11th consecutive day, according to Palestinian media sources.
Details indicate that two Palestinians succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli gunfire east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, while a third died from his wounds in Rafah.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported on Wednesday that the death toll from the Israeli aggression has risen to 48,515 since October 7, 2023.
In its daily update, the ministry stated that 12 bodies, including five whose bodies were recovered from under the rubble, and 14 injured individuals were brought to Gaza hospitals in the past 24 hours.
The ministry also highlighted that many victims remain trapped under debris or on roads, as rescue teams and civil defense crews are unable to reach them due to a lack of equipment and machinery.
Gaza Officials Warn of Health Disasters over Electricity, Water Cuts
Despite a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas and Israel that came into effect on January 19, 2025, Israeli forces continue to target Palestinians with live fire and drone strikes.
Earlier reports from Palestinian media confirmed that Israeli occupation forces opened fire in the southern and eastern areas of Rafah.
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire, with Israeli forces blocking the entry of aid, medical supplies, and fuel through Karem Abu Salem, the only commercial crossing into the Strip.
Doctors Without Borders condemned the Israeli authorities for preventing all aid and electricity supplies from entering Gaza, stating in a tweet that “Israeli authorities have instrumentalized humanitarian needs by using aid as a bargaining chip in ceasefire negotiations as people’s electricity supply has been cut off and aid has been blocked from entering Gaza.”
The organization emphasized that using humanitarian needs as leverage amounts to collective punishment.
Israeli authorities have instrumentalized humanitarian needs by using aid as a bargaining chip in ceasefire negotiations as people’s electricity supply has been cut off and aid has been blocked from entering Gaza. https://t.co/iW7CrQy7i3
— Doctors w/o Borders (@MSF_USA) March 11, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a halt to all goods and supplies entering Gaza on March 2, coinciding with the end of the first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. This decision followed Netanyahu’s obstruction of negotiations for the second phase of the agreement.
Meanwhile, the Union of Gaza Municipalities warned on Wednesday of severe health and environmental disasters due to Israel’s continued blockade of electricity and water supplies to the Strip.
In a statement, the Union called for immediate international intervention, stressing the urgent need for sustained access to water and electricity, particularly after the central desalination plant was rendered inoperable due to Israel cutting off power.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces, with US support, have waged a devastating assault on Gaza, resulting in over 160,000 Palestinian casualties, mostly women and children, and more than 14,000 missing persons.
(PC, AJA, Social Media)
