UN relief workers in the Gaza Strip have issued a stark warning, stating they will run out of fuel by Wednesday night, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region. The situation took a contentious turn as the Israeli military accused Hamas of stockpiling fuel, sharing a satellite photo purporting to show a dozen fuel tanks containing 500,000 liters of fuel inside Gaza.

In response to the UN Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) plea for fuel, the Israeli military posted a provocative message, stating, “Ask Hamas if you can have some.” This exchange underscores the tense relationship between relief efforts and the ongoing conflict dynamics.

While some countries, including the US, Australia, and Canada, have called for “humanitarian pauses,” they have stopped short of openly advocating for a ceasefire. Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair emphasised the challenge of expecting a terrorist organisation like Hamas to respect international law or calls for a ceasefire, stating that Hamas needs to be eliminated as a threat.

Top White House and US State Department officials echoed this sentiment, asserting that the current situation is not conducive to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, eight Syrian military personnel were reported killed in an Israeli airstrike on their positions in the south, as per Syrian state media.

In a separate incident, a drone targeted Palestinians following an exchange of fire during an Israeli raid in the West Bank. Conflicting reports initially suggested two casualties, but officials now confirm three Palestinians died in the strike.

Amidst the escalating violence, UNICEF decried the increasing number of child casualties in Gaza as “a growing stain on our collective conscience” and called for an urgent ceasefire. The charity highlighted the traumatic impact on children, citing almost every child in the region being exposed to distressing events due to Israeli airstrikes, causing destruction and depleting essential resources. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, nearly 5,800 Palestinians, including 2,360 children, have been killed in Israeli strikes since October 7.

UNICEF’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Adele Khodr, emphasised that the violations of children’s rights, including killings, abductions, attacks on hospitals and schools, and denial of humanitarian access, demand immediate attention and intervention to address the deepening crisis.