Ismail al-Thawabtah, the director general of the Government Media Office in Gaza, has provided an update on the latest humanitarian situation in the enclave amid the ongoing Israeli blockade of aid.

Al Jazeera translated his comments:

  • This closure has disrupted the entry of fuel and cooking gas, causing dozens of bakeries to cease operations.
  • The systematic closure policy and denial of fuel entry have not only disrupted bakeries and vital institutions, but have also completely paralysed the transportation sector, disrupting the movement of citizens and limiting their ability to reach hospitals and medical centres.
  • We warn of the disastrous repercussions of this closure and call on the international community and human rights and humanitarian organisations to take immediate action to pressure the Israeli occupation to open the crossings urgently.

Editorial

Updated 05 Aug, 2026

State of confusion

FROM the looks of it, America has no exit strategy to extricate itself from the disastrous war with Iran. US...
05 Aug, 2026

Pension decision

THE government’s decision to formally operationalise the new Defined Contribution Pension Fund Scheme is a step...
05 Aug, 2026

Preventable deaths

THE deaths of 144 children from measles and diphtheria in Karachi during the first seven months of the year expose a...
Updated 04 Aug, 2026

Swat bombing

IT is a bitter irony that terrorists struck a protest against violence in Swat on Sunday, causing at least 17...
04 Aug, 2026

Tariff blow

FOR an export sector already squeezed by high production costs, the additional 10pc tariff on top of the existing...
04 Aug, 2026

Perilous peaks

THE deaths of 10 climbers in an avalanche on Broad Peak is a sad reminder of the perils that many mountaineers face...