The United Nations has been forced to halt deliveries of food and other necessities to Gaza due to a communications blackout caused by a lack of fuel. The blackout has cut off Gaza's 2.3 million people from one another and the outside world, posing a growing risk of widespread starvation. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, was unable to bring in its aid convoy on Friday due to the communication cutoff. Israel has barred the entry of fuel and has also blocked food, water, and other supplies. The trickle of aid from Egypt falls far short of what is needed. Israel claims that fuel would be diverted by Hamas for military purposes. The Israeli government has announced that it will allow two tanker trucks of fuel into Gaza each day for the U.N., but this is only half of what the U.N. said it needs for the lifesaving functions of the people in Gaza. Phone and internet services have been partially restored after a limited quantity of fuel for generators was provided, but the blackout still poses a significant obstacle to humanitarian operations. Click to read more.