Gaza official urges residents not to panic over aid cutoff

Food, medicine and shelter stockpiles in Gaza are limited and aid intended for Palestinians in desperate need may spoil following Israel's suspension of deliveries to the enclave, humanitarian agencies said on Monday.

Israel blocked the entry of aid trucks into Gaza on Sunday.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned that the suspension of aid will add significant pressure on the two million Palestinians in the enclave who are still suffering from shortages of essential goods following 16 months of war.

Israel has previously accused Hamas of hijacking aid, which the group denied.

"Any further challenges to access to food and access to clean water could have devastating consequences. The spike in food and good prices is creating fear and uncertainty", Caroline Seguin, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza, told Reuters.

Salama Marouf, head of the Gaza government media office, said enough food was in markets for at least two weeks and urged Palestinians not to panic.

More than 300 trucks loaded with aid were stopped from crossing the border from Egypt on Sunday, according to the International Federation of the Red Cross.

Its five warehouses in Egypt, which stock food, water, and medicines, are currently at 50 percent capacity, and expiration dates are being checked.

- Reporting by Reuters