The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has reported that nearly 420,000 Palestinians have been newly displaced across the Gaza Strip since March 18, following Israel’s resumption of military operations that shattered a fragile ceasefire.

In a statement released on Friday, UNRWA warned that the situation in Gaza is deteriorating rapidly due to ongoing bombardments and the complete closure of humanitarian aid access.

According to the agency, no humanitarian aid has entered Gaza since March 2, when Israeli authorities imposed a full siege on the enclave. The agency stressed that this blockade has lasted three times longer than the initial siege implemented in October 2023 at the onset of the war.

UNRWA said the continued denial of aid has severely impeded its ability to deliver life-saving assistance to the civilian population, with food, clean water, medical supplies, and shelter becoming increasingly scarce.

The agency also documented that between March 18 and April 14, the Israeli military issued at least 20 displacement orders, effectively placing 69% of the Gaza Strip under active evacuation orders, within declared “no-go” zones, or both.

“These conditions have forced the re-displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, many of whom had already been displaced multiple times during the ongoing war,” the statement said.

Israel’s military operations resumed on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire that had provided a temporary pause to the fighting. Since then, airstrikes and ground attacks have intensified, further exacerbating Gaza’s already catastrophic humanitarian situation.

UNRWA and other international aid agencies continue to call for an immediate humanitarian corridor to allow the flow of essential goods and services into the besieged territory. (ILKHA)