Flames rise following an Israeli attack on a residential building in Gaza City, on August 11, 2024    [Screengrab via Reuters TV]

Gaza City, August 14 (RHC)-- A Palestinian employee with American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) has described “an incredibly precarious” situation in north Gaza amid relentless Israeli attacks and a worsening food and water crisis.

“Today, I experienced the danger firsthand when I was stranded at the crossing point between north and south for over two hours,” Sami Matar wrote in a dispatch.

“Explosions erupted around me, and I found myself in close proximity to three tanks.  It was a harrowing experience, and it underscores just how volatile things have become.

“Each time I cross into the north, I notice more destruction.  During this visit, I saw that 20 buildings that had been standing on Salah al-Din Street, the main thoroughfare, are now flattened – gone within just a couple of weeks since my last visit.  On my way to our office in Gaza City, I passed by a market that was nearly empty, with only a few canned goods left on the shelves.”

Matar said that only humanitarian aid is being permitted into the north, where some 250,000 to 300,00 people remain and essential items like vegetables, meat, milk and medicine remain scarce.

The vast majority of people have no access to electricity since October, but some are managing with solar power and generators, he wrote.

“The situation demands urgent and sustained efforts to ensure that the most vulnerable can survive and rebuild,” he added.

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Flames rise following an Israeli attack on a residential building in Gaza City, on August 11, 2024 [Screengrab via Reuters TV]