Gaza Herald – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Israel to immediately reopen Gaza’s border crossings, which have been closed since Israeli forces launched a military attack on Iran in coordination with the United States.
A UN spokesperson said on Tuesday that the closures have forced aid agencies to ration fuel and limit life-saving operations, warning that local stockpiles are rapidly dwindling. “When the doors are shut, we stretch what we have to make it last longer,” the spokesperson added.
The Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world that does not pass through Israel, had briefly reopened on February 2 for a limited number of people, but Israel shut it again on Saturday, citing “security adjustments” following its attacks on Iran. The Karem Abu Salem crossing, at the junction of Gaza, Israel, and Egypt, was also temporarily closed, but authorities said it would reopen for the gradual entry of humanitarian aid.
The UN’s World Food Programme confirmed that aid deliveries are urgently needed, emphasizing that fuel shortages threaten hospital operations, water, and sanitation services. The Gaza Strip remains heavily dependent on fuel and supplies delivered via trucks from Israel and Egypt.
The humanitarian crisis comes amid ongoing Israeli restrictions, which have depleted stocks of food, medicine, and reconstruction materials since the start of Israel’s military offensive on Gaza in October 2023. A UN inquiry last year found evidence of genocidal intent in the war, while South Africa has filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of acts tantamount to genocide.
Meanwhile, tensions in the West Bank escalated as Israeli forces continued the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem and raided the Askar refugee camp in Nablus. The Israeli government has also moved to claim large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property,” prompting condemnation from over 80 UN member states as a potential de facto annexation.
