Geneva - The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed that the WHO has been unable to maintain communication with its staff, health facilities, healthcare professionals, and other humanitarian partners working on the ground in Gaza. He emphasized the urgent need to safeguard all civilians and ensure unrestricted access for humanitarian assistance.

In a statement made through X, Ghebreyesus conveyed, "We are currently unable to establish contact with our personnel in Gaza, as well as with health facilities, healthcare professionals, and our fellow humanitarian partners on-site. The ongoing blockade raises serious concerns for their safety and immediate health threats to vulnerable patients. We call for the immediate protection of all civilians and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid."

Similarly, Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of UNICEF, reported a similar loss of contact with their colleagues in Gaza. Speaking via X, Russell voiced her deep apprehension about their safety and the continued distress experienced by one million children in Gaza. She stressed the imperative need to protect all humanitarian workers and the families and children they serve.

In the meantime, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has emphasized the dire state of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, describing it as on the brink of a complete breakdown with consequences beyond imagination for over 2 million civilians.

In a message posted on X, Guterres conveyed, "The entire humanitarian infrastructure in Gaza is on the verge of collapsing, with consequences that are difficult to fathom for more than 2 million civilians. The urgent requirements for essentials such as food, water, medicine, and fuel must be granted rapid, secure, and extensive access to all civilians."

In addition, missiles were launched toward the city of Ashkelon in Israel. On Friday night, there was intense shelling observed on the Gaza side of the border with Israel as the Israeli military escalated its operations within the region, as depicted in footage documented by Reuters.

Simultaneously, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, James Cleverly, remarked that Israel is broadening its military offensive and emphasized that ensuring the safety of British citizens remains the highest priority for the United Kingdom.

"We endorse Israel's right to self-defense, adhering to international humanitarian law (IHL), and remain committed to advocating for the safeguarding of Palestinian civilians."

The hashtag #starlinkforgaza is gaining popularity on X, with increasing demands for SpaceX to offer Starlink internet services in Gaza, given the nearly complete communication blackout in the region.

The Jerusalem Post reported that NetBlocks, a worldwide internet monitoring organization, revealed that NetStream, a key internet service provider in the Gaza Strip, has ceased its services. NetBlocks conveyed through a post on X, "Verified: Live network data demonstrates that NetStream, one of the few remaining internet service providers in Gaza, has experienced a complete breakdown after the service operator informed subscribers that the service would terminate due to a critical shortage of fuel supplies."

The chart posted by the internet monitor shows network connectivity in Palestine started to rapidly deteriorate on October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, according to The Jerusalem Post report.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Jawwal, a Palestinian mobile phone service provider, confirmed that their services, encompassing both phone and internet connectivity, had been disrupted due to intense bombardment. Additionally, the Palestine Red Crescent Society issued a statement expressing their loss of communication with their operations room in Gaza, along with their teams deployed in the field.

The Palestine Red Crescent, as reported by CNN, conveyed their profound concerns regarding their teams' capacity to sustain their crucial emergency medical services. They pointed out that this disruption had a significant impact on the central emergency number '101,' making it difficult for ambulance vehicles to reach and assist the injured and wounded.

On Friday, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, "The Israeli Air Force is significantly targeting underground objectives, and there will be an expansion of ground operations tonight." Over the past two days, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have executed limited incursions into the Gaza Strip, involving infantry forces and tanks.

As per Hagari's statement, the IDF is set to continue its strikes in Gaza City and the surrounding areas in the northern part of Gaza. He also reiterated the call for Palestinians to consider relocating to the southern part of the Gaza Strip, as detailed in The Times of Israel's report.

Hagari emphasized, "We are fully prepared to defend across all fronts, acting in the interest of safeguarding the security of the State of Israel." Media reports from Palestinian outlets indicate a substantial increase in Israeli airstrikes throughout the Gaza Strip, particularly in its northern regions.