The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) urged Sunday for the creation of humanitarian corridors to allow food supplies into Gaza during Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave following deadly Hamas attacks.
"As the conflict intensifies, civilians, including vulnerable children and families, face mounting challenges in accessing essential food supplies," the Rome-based WFP said.
"WFP urges safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to affected areas, calling on all parties to uphold the principles of humanitarian law ... including ensuring access to food."
The U.N. agency provides direct food assistance to some 350,000 Palestinians monthly, while also offering aid to nearly 1 million Palestinians in coordination with other humanitarian partners via cash transfers.
The WFP said it was ready to quickly supply food stocks to displaced people or those confined to shelters.
"While most shops in the affected areas... currently maintain one month of food stocks, this risk being depleted swiftly as people buy up food in fear of a prolonged conflict,” it said.
Food also can be spoiled by frequent electricity cuts, warns the WFP.
Israeli airstrikes Sunday continued to target Gaza after Israel suffered its bloodiest attack in decades when Hamas fighters breached fence lines and poured into southern Israeli towns, killing 700 people and abducting dozens more.
The Israeli military said it deployed tens of thousands of soldiers around Gaza, a narrow strip that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians as fear grows of an imminent, large-scale Israeli attack in the region.
More than 400 Palestinians have been killed as Israeli airstrikes pound Gaza.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a travel advisory for U.S. citizens who may wish to travel in Israel, warning that the current situation in Israel is unpredictable.
It also said that U.S. citizens in Israel who need assistance should contact the closest embassy or consulate using this crisis intake form. Family members can also submit information on behalf of a U.S. citizen family member.
U.S. citizens who wish to leave and can do so safely are advised to check the status of the border crossings or verify flights have not been cancelled before heading to the Ben Gurion Airport.
U.S. citizens can find additional information regarding steps to take in case of mortar and rocket fire in the ‘Country Information’ section and by searching for: Israel, the West Bank and Gaza on the Travel Portal of the U.S. State Department's website.
Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer said American citizens are among those taken captive by Hamas, but gave no details about them, nor about Americans who might have been killed.
“Unfortunately, I can’t. We have a lot of dual citizens in Israel. I suspect there are several, but we’re still trying to sort through all of... all this information after this horrific surprise attack and we’ll make sure to put that information out so that the loved ones of these people who were killed and who are held hostage, they know as quickly as possible,” Dermer told CNN’s ‘’State of the Union,” Sunday.
Meanwhile an unspecified number of Europeans and Americans in Israel are reportedly dead or captured.
Three British men, a French woman and two Ukrainian women are confirmed among the dead while Germany said some of its citizens are among those kidnapped by Hamas.
Some information for this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
