Heavy fighting in Rafah keeps aid crossings closed

Food and fuel supplies running critically low, UN warns as Israeli troops and Hamas fighters engage in fierce gun battles in eastern Rafah

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HEAVY fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants on the outskirts of the southern Gaza city of Rafah has left crucial nearby aid crossings inaccessible and driven more than 1,10,000 people to flee north, UN officials said.

With nothing entering through the crossings, food and other supplies were running critically low, aid agencies said. The World Food Program will run out of food for distribution in southern Gaza by Saturday, said Georgios Petropoulos, an official with the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Rafah. Aid groups have said fuel will also be depleted soon, forcing hospitals to shut down critical operations and bringing to a halt trucks delivering aid across south and central Gaza.