Alarm raised as 'apocalyptic' conditions grip Gaza

Aid charities have sounded the alarm about an apocalyptic” situation in Gaza after more than two months of war between Israel and Hamas, warning of starvation and an outbreak of disease.

In a videoconference with journalists this week, international organisations depicted a bleak picture of what Save the Children called the horrors” unfolding in the Gaza Strip.

“The situation in Gaza is not just a catastrophe, it’s apocalyptic... with potential irreversible consequences on Palestinian people,” said Ms Bushra Khalidi of Oxfam, another Britain-based charity.

“Israel safe zones within Gaza are a mirage,” she added.

Israel launched a massive military offensive against Gaza after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on Oct 7. About 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza says the Israeli retaliation has killed at least 17,000 people.

An estimated 19 million of the territory’s 2.4 million people have been displaced, and vast areas have been reduced to rubble.

Only 14 of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are currently functioning in any capacity, according to UN humanitarian agency Ocha, and little aid is reaching those in need.

“Those who survived the bombardment now face imminent risk of dying of starvation and disease,” said Ms Alexandra Saieh of Save the Children.