In a significant development on the forty-first day of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli army announced on Thursday that it has successfully attained “operational control” over the strategically crucial Gaza port.
The port, a vital component of the besieged territory’s infrastructure, was previously under the control of the Hamas militant group.
In an official statement, the Israeli army affirmed, “Our forces maintain operational control over the Gaza port, formerly held by the terrorist organization Hamas,” highlighting the successful “clearance of all buildings in the port area.”
The move has raised concerns internationally, with Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, warning of a deliberate effort to disrupt its operations.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Lazzarini expressed his belief that there is a purposeful attempt to “strangle our operation and paralyze the UNRWA operation.”
Furthermore, Lazzarini drew attention to the dire situation in Gaza, emphasizing a “total communication blackout” and attributing it to the absence of fuel. “Gaza is again in a total communication blackout, and… it is because there is no fuel,” he stated.
The blackout was confirmed by the Palestinian telecom company Paltel, which announced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): “We regret to announce that all telecom services in Gaza Strip have gone out of service as all energy sources sustaining the network have been depleted, and fuel was not allowed in.”
The situation adds to the growing humanitarian concerns in the conflict-ridden region.
