A woman gestures as Palestinians leave Beit Hanun in the northern Gaza Strip with their belongings, heading towards Gaza City following Israeli evacuation orders on March 19, 2025. (Photo by Bashar Taleb / AFP)
New York: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that over 170 children have been martyred since the resumption of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip at dawn on Tuesday.
In a statement published on its official website, OCHA confirmed that the total number of martyrs due to the airstrikes has exceeded 400, including over 170 children and 80 women, highlighting that rescuers and paramedics have been unable to reach many victims due to a shortage of equipment, fuel, and heavy machinery.
Only four field hospitals are operating at full capacity in the region, while 22 hospitals and six field hospitals are operating partially. Meanwhile, 13 hospitals and four field hospitals have completely ground to a halt due to damage, lack of medical personnel, and shortages of medicines, the statement reads.
In addition, OCHA warned that over one million people in the Gaza Strip could face severe food shortages unless humanitarian aid deliveries to the area are resumed, stressing that they are potentially at risk of not receiving food rations in March if aid delivery to Gaza does not recommence.
Israel resumed its aggression on Gaza early Tuesday morning, breaking a ceasefire that had lasted nearly two months, which began on Jan. 19, 2025. However, Israel breached the ceasefire terms and continued its bombardments on various areas across the Gaza Strip, resulting in casualties.
It also refused to enforce the humanitarian protocol and stepped up its intense siege on the enclave, which is experiencing unprecedented humanitarian anguish.
