Gaza's only power station has run out of fuel, two days after Israel imposed a total blockade on the territory.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, sparked by a surprise attack launched by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on southern Israeli towns last week, followed by Israeli retaliatory strikes on Gaza, has claimed more than 2,700 lives. This toll includes over 1,500 Palestinians and 1,300 Israelis.

As the conflict persists, concerns have escalated over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza – a situation described by the United Nations as "extremely dire" and expected to deteriorate "exponentially."

Conflict persists

Israel stated on Thursday that it had dropped 6,000 bombs, totaling 4,000 tonnes in weight, on Gaza in the past six days.

During the extensive airstrikes on Gaza that led to the deaths of three senior Hamas members, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi mentioned that the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and the group's leadership were "dead men walking."

"Unlike other operations, we are seeking to topple Hamas," stated IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari in a televised announcement.

In the six days of Israeli airstrikes against Gaza, at least 1,500 Palestinians, including 500 children and 276 women, lost their lives, according to Palestinian health ministry. 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned violence against civilians on both sides on Thursday, emphasizing that the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited governance in the occupied West Bank and has long opposed Hamas, stood against violence and would pursue political action to achieve its goals.

Israel has also mobilized 360,000 reservists on the Gaza border over the past few days, raising suspicions about the possibility of a ground attack on Gaza.

Humanitarian situation deteriorates 'exponentially'

The UN's World Food Program (WFP) has issued a warning that food and water in Gaza will run out very soon, plunging the besieged enclave into "a devastating situation."

"We are seeing shortages of fuel, water and electricity. We are seeing overcrowded shelters," the agency wrote in a post on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Gaza's last functioning power plant ran out of fuel on Wednesday. A day later, the local health ministry stated that its health system had "begun to collapse."

Israel announced a total siege on Gaza on Monday, blocking the entry of food, fuel and water into the coastal territory and shuttering all crossing points. These measures, combined with the ongoing airstrikes by Israel, have exacerbated the crisis.

Read more: 
A 'total siege' on Gaza：No place safe 

The number of displaced people in Gaza has exceeded 263,000, with over 175,000 seeking refuge in UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East schools, as reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"The humanitarian situation in Gaza was extremely dire before the onset of these hostilities; now it is set to deteriorate exponentially," warned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier this week.

On Thursday, the organization issued an emergency appeal for $294 million to address "the most urgent needs" in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, aiming to assist more than 1.2 million people, according to OCHA.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has confirmed its engagement with both Hamas and Israel, working towards facilitating negotiations for the release of approximately 150 hostages recently taken to Gaza.

External forces

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Thursday and held meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the members of Israel's wartime cabinet, a part of the new emergency government formed to respond to the Hamas attack.

The top U.S. diplomat pledged support and additional weapons deliveries for Israel's efforts in combating Hamas. During a live broadcast statement, Blinken mentioned that more shipments of U.S. arms were "on the way."

Earlier this week, the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including an aircraft carrier, arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea "in order to deter any actor seeking to escalate the situation or widen this war," said the U.S. Central Command in a statement.

A second U.S. aircraft carrier is heading to the Mediterranean for a "long-scheduled deployment," according to the White House on Wednesday, while a U.S. cargo plane carrying the first shipment of advanced weaponry has landed in the country.

After their meeting, Netanyahu told Blinken that Hamas should be treated like the terrorist group ISIS. "No leader should meet them. No countries should harbor them, and those that do, need to be sanctioned," he said.

Additionally, Israeli missile strikes targeted both international airports in Syria's capital, Damascus, and its northern province of Aleppo on Thursday, temporarily rendering the airports out of service.

The Syrian army said in a statement that the attacks are diversionary tactics of Israel to shift attention away from its ongoing operations in Gaza.

Just a day before, Israeli shelling hit southern Lebanese towns in response to a fresh rocket attack by the armed group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah said it had fired precision missiles at an Israeli position in response to the killing of its members in Israeli shelling earlier this week.

At least three civilians were injured by Israeli strikes in south Lebanon, according to media agency Al Jazeera.

(With input from agencies)