Israel has denied requests to supply fuel to hospitals in northern Gaza five times over the past week, said the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

Speaking in a press conference on Tuesday, Dujarric revealed that several hospitals in northern Gaza have been without fresh fuel supplies for over 10 days.

“Efforts to deliver fuel to hospitals in the region have been thwarted repeatedly, with access denied five times in the past week [by Israel],” said Dujarric. “The dependency on fuel to run back-up generators is complete as the Israeli authorities cut electricity provision from the Gaza Strip back in October.”

When asked for the reason provided by Israel for not allowing fuel trucks to reach the hospitals, Dujarric responded, “As far as I know, reasons are often not given.”

He also addressed the challenges facing aid delivery with trucks from Israel entering northern Gaza. “The access of humanitarian partners to northern Gaza is particularly challenging as it requires coordination with the Israeli authorities and passage through an internal checkpoint.”

Moreover, he added, the challenge remains in Karem Shalom crossing. “While aid may be deposited from the Israeli side onto the Gaza side, the security situation doesn’t allow us free access.”

The UN spokesman pointed out that, “In addition to the loss of warehouses and other humanitarian premises due to evacuation orders, it remains difficult to move around the south of Gaza due to the severe overcrowding and continuous displacement.”

Nevertheless, efforts are underway to recruit and train over 1,000 healthcare workers and volunteers across 11 health centres in the region for polio vaccinations. The first phase of the campaign aims to reach at least 95 per cent of the 640,000 children under 10 years old in Gaza.

Israel is continuing its brutal offensive on Gaza which began after the cross-border incursion by Hamas last October. The onslaught has killed over 40,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded nearly 94,000 others, according to local health authorities. Vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the blockaded enclave. The apartheid state denies the allegation.