Hunger spreads in Khan Younis as Israel keeps up blockade
Frustration is mounting as Israel’s blockade on Gaza enters its second week.
At a bread queue in southern Khan Younis, Abu Essam Abu Sahloul can barely contain his anger.
“We can only get one bag of bread, the borders are closed and everywhere is closed, what shall we do?” the 75-year-old said.
“For every person, only half a loaf of bread, half a pitta bread. I leave home at 6am and I return at 1pm for just one loaf of bread.”
As we’ve been reporting, Israel stopped all aid from entering Gaza in a bid to get Hamas to agree to extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal. The Palestinian group, however, is insisting on advancing to a second stage and ending the war.
For many in Gaza, the blockade means the return of famine.
“There’s a siege on all Gaza’s people, from all the borders,” said Abu Al-Abd Darwish. “As you can see, we’re waiting for our turn to get a bag of bread. We’re all alike now, the wealthy and the poor, everyone is trying to get a bag of bread.”
‘Genocide alert’: UN expert condemns Israel for cutting Gaza’s power supply
Francesa Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, says Israel’s decision to cut off electricity to Gaza means “no functioning desalination stations, ergo: no clean water”.
She added that countries that are yet to impose sanctions or an arms embargo on Israel are “AIDING AND ASSISTING Israel in the commission of one of the most preventable genocides of our history”.
According to Human Rights Watch, Israel has already intentionally cut off most ways that Palestinians in Gaza can access water, including by blocking pipelines to Gaza and destroying solar panels used to try to keep some water pumps and desalination and waste management plants running during power outages.
In a December report, the organisation noted that Palestinians in many areas of Gaza had access to 2 to 9 litres (0.5 to 2 gallons) of water for drinking and washing per day, per person, far below the 15-litre (3.3 gallons) per person threshold for survival.
❌GENOCIDE ALERT!❌Israel cutting off electricity supplies to Gaza means, among others, no functioning desalination stations, ergo: no clean water.
STILL NO SANCTION/NO ARMS EMBARGO against Israel means, among others, AIDING AND ASSISTING Israel in the commission of one of the… https://t.co/x2cX4MuP0K
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) March 9, 2025
‘This is not a life’
Israel’s blockade means that even basic cooking has become impossible in Gaza.
“We used to have electricity to cook with but now, there’s no electricity and there’s no firewood to bake in an oven,” said Samah Sahloul, a resident of Khan Younis. “As for the children, how am I supposed to feed them? I have a baby, and I can’t get diapers for him. This is not a life, to be honest.”
Another woman appealed for help from the Islamic world.
“Open the borders and help us with everything. Our situation is extremely bad,” said Sahla Sharab. “We’re living in tents and our homes are damaged. I call on all the Islamic world to help the people of Palestine.”
