With communications down, no more aid deliveries to Rafah

Palestinians rescue survivors after an Israeli strike on Rafah

Despite the dire need for humanitarian aid in Gaza, there would be no deliveries across the Rafah border crossing from Egypt on Friday, according to the communications director for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.

Gaza appeared to be left with downed communications systems for a second day Friday, halting cross-border deliveries of humanitarian supplies even as aid agencies warned that most people in the Gaza Strip already do not have adequate food or clean water. A severe lack of fuel in the Gaza Strip shut down all internet and phone networks Thursday, the main Palestinian telecom provider said, effectively cutting off the besieged territory from the outside world.

Locals clear a damaged road in the Jenin refugee camp, West Bank. Pics/AFP

"We have seen fuel and food and water and humanitarian assistance being used as a weapon of war," Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for UNRWA, the aid agency for Palestinian refugees, said Thursday. At least 11,470 Palestinians - two-thirds of them women and minors - have been killed since October 7.

Overnight strikes kill, injure dozens in Gaza

Israel bombarded two homes in southern Gaza late Thursday and Friday morning, according to survivors accompanying those killed and wounded in the strikes to the main hospital in Khan Younis. Dozens were injured in the attack including babies and young children. The attack late Thursday killed 11 members of a family who had fled the main combat zone in Gaza City. The strikes hit Bani Suheila where evacuations were ordered on Wednesday.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever