Palestinians look for survivors following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. Scores of Canadians are still hoping to leave the Gaza Strip, as Canadians and Israelis mourn the loss of dual national Vivian Silver in last month's attack by Hamas.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Fatima Shbair
OTTAWA – A dire lack of fuel in the Gaza Strip will likely mean that the United Nations’ work to support Palestinian civilians soon ends – a development that has Canada’s foreign affairs minister “extremely concerned.”
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, confirmed its fuel storage facility in Gaza is empty and its relief operations will be halted before long.
Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA, said that after weeks of warnings and rationing, the agency will soon be out of fuel.
“The depot is now empty,” said Lazzarini. “It is very simple. Without fuel, the humanitarian operation in Gaza is coming to an end. Many more people will suffer and will likely die.”
UNRWA provides food, shelter and other services to hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly called the situation unacceptable.
“Civilians must be protected and enough food, fuel and water must get into Gaza so that (the UN’s) lifesaving work can continue,” Joly said in a statement late Monday evening.
Israel has refused to allow fuel shipments into Gaza since Hamas’s cross-border attack on Oct. 7. Israel says Hamas will divert any fuel shipments for military use.
Palestinians trapped in Gaza are struggling to survive without electricity or running water and are rationing food as Israel’s siege of the territory extends into its second month.
Joly did not specifically name Israel in the statement posted on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.
Israel declared war against Hamas after its militants killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7, including hundreds of civilians, and took about 240 people hostage.
Weeks of retaliatory airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip since then have killed more than 11,200 people, according to health officials in the Hamas-controlled territory. A ground offensive by the Israeli military remains underway.
Scores of people connected to Canada are still hoping to escape the territory, where the UN says no place is safe.
The Canadian government has faced increased pressure domestically from the National Council of Canadian Muslims, refugee settlement agencies, opposition members and municipal politicians to call for a ceasefire, in a bid to safely evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid.
Joly did not mention a ceasefire in her statement Monday, and the Canadian government has instead called for “humanitarian pauses” in the bombardments.
No Canadians were named on the list of potential evacuees allowed to use the tightly controlled Rafah border crossing into Egypt on Tuesday.
Global Affairs Canada said Monday it was in touch with more than 250 Canadians, permanent residents and their eligible family members in the war-torn Palestinian territory. So far, 356 Canadians and their relatives have made it out of the Gaza Strip, including 10 on Monday.
“We are working day and night to bring the remaining Canadians in Gaza to safety,” Joly said.
Canada is also involved in efforts to secure the safe return of hostages taken in last month’s attack and brought to Gaza.
Julie Sunday, Canada’s new senior official for hostage affairs, is in Qatar engaging in negotiations with partners in the Middle East, Joly said. She has recently been in Israel and Egypt as part of her mission to help facilitate the release of Israeli hostages.
Canadian Vivian Silver, a dual national previously believed to have been taken hostage, is confirmed to have died in the initial attack last month.
Silver, who moved to Israel in the 1970s, was thought to be alive and held in Gaza. But identification of some of the most badly burned remains has gone slowly, and her family was notified of her death Monday.
A 19-year-old soldier who was taken hostage has also been killed, Hamas and Israel said, making her the first of the Oct. 7 hostages confirmed to have died in captivity.
On Tuesday Israel’s military declared Noa Marciano a fallen soldier without giving a cause of death. Meanwhile Hamas said she was killed in an Israeli strike, without providing evidence.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2023.
– With files from The Associated Press
