UN Warns That Civilians in Gaza Have Nowhere to Escape from Bombs and Rockets

The United Nations warned that Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip are "packed into an area smaller than ever before" and that essential lifesaving supplies have run out, calling for a humanitarian ceasefire to allow for aid access. Joyce Msuya, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, stated during a meeting held by Arab envoys in the territory controlled by the Hamas movement, "Estimates now indicate that up to a million people have fled their homes to other parts of Gaza." Msuya said, "In reality, civilians have nowhere to go – no place to escape from the bombs and rockets, no place to find water or food, or to flee from the unfolding humanitarian disaster." She urged for a "cessation of hostilities for humanitarian reasons." UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Tuesday, "We cannot send trucks and humanitarian convoys while the bombing continues. Intensive discussions are ongoing with several parties to try to deliver basic humanitarian aid as quickly as possible."