The Government Media Office in Gaza said on Thursday that the continued Israeli closure of the Strip's crossings has led to the closure of dozens of bakeries and paralyzed the transportation sector. The office warned that these measures are exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe in an unprecedented manner and amount to a crime of collective strangulation targeting the daily lives of Palestinians.

The office added in a statement that the ban on fuel and cooking gas has caused dozens of bakeries to shut down, threatening the food security of more than 2.4 million Palestinians living in dire conditions due to the ongoing war and blockade.

He explained that this closure has also completely paralyzed the transportation sector, impacting citizens' movement and hindering their access to hospitals and medical facilities. It has also prevented thousands of workers and employees from commuting to work amid a deteriorating humanitarian situation.

Ismail Thawabta, Director General of the Government Media Office, described these measures as an extension of the occupation's policy of collective punishment, noting that the Israeli blockade has turned Gaza into a "large prison" in which residents suffer from systematic deprivation of basic rights.

The Government Media Office called on the international community and human rights and humanitarian organizations to take urgent action to pressure the occupation to open the crossings without restrictions and allow the entry of fuel and essential supplies, warning that the continuation of this blockade could lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.