South Gaza Strip bakeries close after only three days as flour runs out

Bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) in the southern Gaza Strip ceased operations on Sunday, just three days after reopening following the Israeli siege.

The bakeries were forced to close due to the very limited quantities of flour recently allowed into the war-torn territory by Israel, which has imposed a two-month total siege on the coastal enclave.

The UN and aid groups have said the humanitarian convoys are not enough to meet the huge needs of people in Gaza.

One bakery owner told Anadolu Agency that his bakery resumed operations for only three days following the two-month closure, as the small quantity of flour he had ran out.

He said the bread produced in those three days was donated to the WFP which in turn distributed it to civilians.

The WFP announced on 6 April that all 25 bakeries it supports in Gaza have been closed due to flour and fuel shortages. Later in the month, the UN organisation said its remaining food reserves had completely run out.

The Palestinian territory, largely devastated by the nearly 20-month war, needs at least 500 humanitarian and 50 trucks of life-saving fuel every single day, the enclave’s government said last Monday.

The UN and the Hamas Palestinian group have accused Israel of using famine as a weapon of war in Gaza. Dozens have died from starvation, including children.

Israel seeks to force out the enclave’s 2.3 million inhabitants, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza – said Israel will seek to completely conquer the Palestinian territory.