UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has declared that the humanitarian crisis has reached an alarming level, with corpses left by the roadside or buried beneath debris. — Reuters file

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees urged a temporary ceasefire on Tuesday to enable civilians to evacuate northern Gaza, as health officials warned of dwindling supplies to treat casualties from the ongoing Israeli offensive. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, stated that the humanitarian situation had deteriorated severely, with bodies left abandoned on roadsides or under rubble.

"In northern Gaza, people are simply waiting to die," he said on X. "They feel abandoned, hopeless, and alone." Lazzarini called for an immediate truce, even if only for a few hours, to allow safe passage for families wishing to leave the area and find safer locations.

This plea came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel to rekindle ceasefire negotiations following the recent death of Yahya Sinwar, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The US has urged Israel to facilitate more humanitarian aid into northern Gaza, while Israel claims it has already delivered aid via numerous trucks and air drops, though Gaza medics report that they have not received the aid.

On Tuesday, Gaza health officials reported that over 20 people had been killed by Israeli forces, with dozens of bodies left on roadsides and under rubble. Rescue teams were unable to reach these locations due to ongoing strikes.

"Many wounded have perished before our eyes, and we couldn't provide any assistance," said Munir Al Bursh, director of the Gaza health ministry, currently in northern Gaza. "Hospitals have also run out of coffins to prepare the dead, and we have requested people to donate any fabric they have at home," he added in a statement.

The Israeli military, which initiated an offensive against Hamas militants in the northern town of Jabalia this month, asserts that it is evacuating people along designated routes and has separated dozens of militants from civilians heading south. Israeli drones have been circling overhead, urging Palestinians to evacuate areas around Beit Lahiya, just north of Jabalia where the offensive commenced earlier this month.

Many Palestinians suspect that the evacuation orders are part of an Israeli plan to clear the area to establish a buffer zone, enabling Israel to control Gaza post-war. The Israeli military denies this, stating that evacuations are aimed at separating civilians from Hamas fighters. It claims to have dismantled tunnels and other Hamas infrastructure in Beit Lahiya.

Local residents report that fighting appears to be limited to hit-and-run attacks by small groups of Hamas militants, rather than full-scale combat. The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad claim to have attacked Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets and mortar fire.

The war in Gaza has severely crippled the Palestinian economy, which is now 35% smaller than it was at the start of Israel's invasion a year ago, according to the United Nations' development agency. The UNDP reports that quality of life indicators, such as health and education, have regressed 70 years to the 1950s.

In northern Gaza, residents say Israeli forces have surrounded hospitals, schools, and shelters housing displaced families, ordering them to leave and head south. They report that forces have detained dozens of men. Footage obtained by Reuters shows dozens of residents fleeing their area, carrying some of their belongings.

Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, stated that medical services have completely collapsed. "There are no blood units or tubes to drain bleeding from the chest. Most of the medical supplies are unavailable," he said in a statement. "People around the hospital are being asked to evacuate, and those who evacuated were shot on the way...the situation is beyond catastrophic."

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