Gaza's health ministry has announced a polio vaccination campaign for 600,000 Palestinian children has had to be halted, as a result of Israel's ongoing humanitarian blockade of the war-ravaged strip.
The restrictions on any aid entering the territory has now reached 50 days, and the head of the United Nation's Palestinian aid agency UNRWA said it was time for the international community to shift from words of condemnation to action in pressuring let supplies in.
Polio is a disease largely wiped out around the world, but it has reappeared in Gaza as a result of the 18 month long war and the destruction of water and sanitation facilities.
A spokesperson for Gaza's health ministry said it was anticipating a "real catastrophe" if the vaccines did not arrive, adding that children "must not be used as cards of political blackmail."
In a post on social media, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said the blockade amounted to "collective punishment" of the Palestinian people — a phrase with specific meaning when discussing allegations of war crimes.
"Humanitarian aid is being used as a bargaining chip and a weapon of war," he posted on social media.
"The siege must be lifted, supplies must flow in, the hostages must be released, the ceasefire must resume.
"How much longer until hollow words of condemnation will translate into action to lift the siege, resume a ceasefire and save whatever is left of humanity?"
Concerns of aid being passed to Hamas
Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz rejected accusations from US Senator Bernie Sanders that the blockade amounted to a "war crime".
"Israel is acting in full accordance with international law," he posted on social media platform X.
“The humanitarian condition in Gaza is constantly monitored and large quantities of aid were delivered.
"Whenever it becomes necessary to allow additional aid, it must be ensured that it does not pass through Hamas, which exploits humanitarian aid to maintain control over the civilian population and to profit at their expense."
Mr Katz has previously suggested Israel was working on ways to allow aid into Gaza which bypassed Hamas, but has provided no detail on what that might look like.
Humanitarian agencies have been sounding the alarm about the impact of the blockade for weeks, saying medical supplies and food were running dangerously low across Gaza and urgent deliveries were required.
'What do they want from us?'
As Israel showed little to no sign it would yield to demands to lift its aid restrictions, it has also continued its bombardment of Gaza.
In the last 24 hours, Palestinians have reported some of the most intense strikes since Israel resumed strikes on the territory on March 18 after a ceasefire.
Among the targets were around 40 trucks, bulldozers and other earthmoving equipment in locations across Gaza.
Local authorities said the vehicles were being used to help clear rubble from destroyed building, and retrieve the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes.
"For a year now, there are people who are still not retrieved from under the rubble," Jabalia resident Nasser Mohammed Nasser told news agency Reuters.
"These bulldozers came from God to help us in order to remove the rubble. Today, they destroyed the bulldozers.
"What do they want from us? Where do they want to take us?"
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed Hamas was using the vehicles, in justifying its strikes.
In a statement, it said some of the vehicles had been used by the group to help its fighters cross into Israel on October 7 2023, and launch its deadly attacks against Israel.
"The engineering vehicles were also used for terror purposes against IDF troops during the fighting in the Gaza Strip," the IDF said.
"Hamas has used these vehicles for planting explosives, digging underground routes, breaching fences, and clearing rubble to locate weapons and military equipment hidden by the terrorist organisation beneath the rubble."
Around 1,200 people were killed during Hamas' attacks, and 250 taken hostage by the group.
In the 18 months since, more than 51,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed.
