Australian charities working in Gaza are struggling to access communities devastated by Israel's ground and air strikes in the coastal Palestinian enclave.
The nation's peak body for aid organisations is urging the federal government to lobby both sides of the violent conflict for an immediate ceasefire to stem the mounting civilian death toll.
More than 600 Palestinians and 29 Israelis have died since Israel starting bombing the Gaza Strip a fortnight ago in response to Islamist group Hamas firing rockets into the country.
The casualties on both sides have escalated steeply since Israel launched a full ground assault on the Hamas-dominated territory five days ago.
The Australian Council for International Development urged the government to make every effort to ensure humanitarian groups could carry out their vital work on the ground in Gaza.
"They are experiencing increasing difficulty in accessing communities," council CEO Marc Purcell said in a statement.
Crucially, aid groups needed secure supply chains to provide food, medicine and humanitarian assistance to the growing numbers of those in need and to treat the seriously injured.
World leaders have expressed alarm over the rising death toll, particularly at the large number of children killed in the conflict.
An aid study of 100 children in North Gaza last week found a quarter had at least one member of their extended family killed.
Virtually all had experienced symptoms of stress and shock, the council said.
Jordan overnight submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations calling for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, but it's unclear if it will be successful.
Share
