Israeli military manoeuvres and shelling continued in and around eastern Rafah in southern Gaza on Wednesday morning as UN humanitarians stressed that “no fuel or aid” is getting into the enclave.

 Thousands of people leave Rafah for central Gaza as hostilities escalate in and around the enclave’s southernmost town. U.N. News / Ziad Taleb

“We’re not receiving any aid, the crossing area has ongoing military operations and is an active war zone,” said Scott Anderson, from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in a post on X. “We are hearing continued bombardments in this area throughout the day. No fuel or aid has entered into the Gaza Strip and this is disastrous for the humanitarian response.”

The development comes amid deepening international concerns including from the UN Secretary-General about a full-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah, fuelled by the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing following a deadly rocket attack claimed by Hamas last weekend, and the seizure of Rafah crossing on Tuesday by Israeli forces, dashing ceasefire hopes.

Forced to evacuate

In addition to concerns over dwindling supplies of fuel, food and other basic necessities in Gaza, UN humanitarians reported that tens of thousands of people in Rafah have been uprooted once more by Israeli evacuation orders.

“Every day we are displaced. Every hour we are displaced,” said Rafah resident Salah Rajab Gazan speaking to U.N. News inside the enclave. “We expected that the deal would be reached and we’d go [back] to Gaza City. But, what we expected did not happen, and the opposite happened.”

Gaza ‘has no future’

In another interview with our Arabic service correspondent there, a former resident of Jabalia camp in northern Gaza described his exhaustion and loss after seven months of war which had claimed the lives of his children.

“I can’t find a mattress to sleep on,” he said. “I used to have a house and floors. I am tired of life because there is no life in Gaza. Gaza has no future.”

Guterres concern

In a bid to secure an end to the war and the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a direct appeal to the Government of Israel late Tuesday “to stop any escalation and engage constructively in the ongoing diplomatic talks”.

Posting on X late on Tuesday, the UN chief said that he was “disturbed and distressed” by the Israeli Defense Forces’ renewed military activity in Rafah, just as he called on Hamas leaders and Israel “to show political courage” and secure a ceasefire.

“After more than 1,100 Israelis killed in the Hamas terror attacks of 7 October, after more than 34,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, haven’t we seen enough?” Mr. Guterres asked.