UNITED NATIONS: Intensifying Israeli military operations and the insecurity and displacement that come with them have brought dire living conditions to overcrowded Gaza Strip shelters, UN humanitarians said Wednesday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said restrictions on the quality and quantity of material allowed into the strip exacerbate the situation.

“Stocks are severely depleted, leaving fewer than 1,000 tents available and enough essential household supplies to support only about 7,000 households,” said OCHA.

The office said its partners reiterated the urgent need to transition to longer-term housing solutions to protect displaced families and provide privacy. Sustained access to essential materials is also urgently required, OCHA said, stressing that vulnerable households must have access to safe and weather-resistant accommodation before winter conditions set in.

The material sought includes construction supplies, tools and machinery to clear debris and waste.

The UN Human Rights Office reported Tuesday that Israeli attacks have intensified in recent days, hitting civilian infrastructure and crowded areas. It said Israeli forces killed at least 57 people, including women and children, from July 13 to 20.

On Monday, an OCHA team visited two displacement sites in Gaza City, where domestic fires had damaged two family tents and destroyed mattresses, blankets, children’s clothing and school supplies.

“Such incidents are becoming increasingly common as families continue to resort to burning waste, cardboard and trash to prepare meals,” the office said. “Gas cylinders and cooking stoves have not been permitted to enter Gaza since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023, and cooking gas is only available in very limited quantities, and at very high prices.”

During the second week of July, according to the Gaza Chamber of Commerce, fewer than two dozen truckloads of cooking gas were collected by the private sector for distribution inside Gaza, accounting for only 2.5 percent of truckloads entering the strip.

“Cooking gas must be allowed to enter the strip regularly, together with supplies from the private sector to complement humanitarian aid and to better respond to people’s needs,” OCHA said.

Humanitarian partners continued to provide critical shelter and household assistance to families in need. The office said that in the first 10 days of July, 2,300 households received bedding items, tarpaulins and tents, and some 13,000 families received kitchen sets.