The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has issued a grave warning about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

In a stark statement published on its official social media channels, UNRWA urgently called on the international community to take immediate action to halt the catastrophe that is spiraling toward “an unseen level” of human suffering.

The agency renewed its demand for an immediate ceasefire, emphasizing that the combination of relentless Israeli military aggression and the total closure of Gaza’s border crossings has created a man-made famine, deepening the humanitarian crisis that now threatens millions of lives.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the Israeli blockade in blunt terms, stating that the continued denial of aid “is silently killing more children and women every day” in addition to those being slaughtered by airstrikes. “This is not a war against militants—it is a war against civilians, against life itself,” Lazzarini said.

Since March 2, Israel has completely sealed off Gaza, barring the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and essential humanitarian supplies. Aid convoys have been stranded outside Gaza’s borders, while medical facilities inside the enclave collapse due to shortages, malnutrition soars, and clean water becomes scarcer by the hour.

Aid organizations say the siege, compounded by ongoing bombardments, has caused a rapid and deadly deterioration in conditions for Gaza’s 2.4 million besieged residents—nearly half of whom are children. Human rights advocates and international legal experts are warning that Israel’s deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war may constitute a war crime under international law.

Despite global appeals, Israel has persisted in using starvation as a pressure tactic while continuing its military operations, prompting renewed outrage from rights groups who accuse Tel Aviv of using collective punishment against an entire population.

UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies have made repeated pleas for the immediate reopening of Gaza’s crossings to allow the urgent delivery of life-saving aid. “Without access, without fuel, without food—without humanity—Gaza is being buried alive,” said one UN official.

Observers fear that if the siege continues unchallenged, Gaza will descend into an irreversible humanitarian catastrophe, with the responsibility falling squarely on Israel and the international community's failure to intervene decisively.

UNRWA concluded its statement with a call to conscience: “Gaza is not a battlefield. It is a home, a shelter, a memory. What is happening now is not just a siege. It is starvation as policy. It is collective punishment. It is a crime that must not be allowed to go on.” (ILKHA)