Gaza aid group says nutritional supplies destroyed in Israeli strike

Warehouses belonging to the Palestinian Land of Man Association in Deir al-Balah were almost completely destroyed following an Israeli strike on an adjacent residential building, burying nutritional supplements intended for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women beneath the rubble, the organization said on Tuesday.

The warehouses, locally known as the Fayyad Barracks, are located on 17th Street in Deir al-Balah, near Rashid Street. According to the association, a residential building immediately southeast of the facility was struck on Monday night, with the blast and collapsing debris causing extensive damage to the warehouses.

The association said it was notified of the strike by the property owner late Monday but was unable to send personnel to the site immediately because of security conditions. A team reached the facility on Tuesday morning to assess and document the damage.

According to its preliminary inspection, sections of the warehouse walls and roof collapsed, while concrete debris buried much of the stock stored inside.

READ: Israel expels Dutch officials from Gaza coordination centre over settlement boycott

The association said the warehouses contained nutritional supplements and other supplies for children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, intended for humanitarian and health programs serving vulnerable Palestinians in Gaza.

A preliminary assessment estimated that nearly 100 percent of the stored supplies had been damaged or contaminated. The organization said containers had been affected by shrapnel, debris, dust and blast pressure, making their contents unsuitable for human consumption.

The damaged supplies will consequently have to be destroyed under appropriate safety procedures to prevent contaminated products from being distributed to beneficiaries, the association said.

The loss comes amid severe humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where aid agencies and health officials have repeatedly warned about malnutrition and shortages of nutritional and medical supplies.

READ: Another 6 Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes across beleaguered Gaza Strip