::::::::
Hatem Shurrab is an aid worker in Gaza with the British-based charity Islamic Relief Worldwide. In the sixth instalment of his diary, he says the humanitarian situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly desperate.
"Since the bombing started six days ago, people are becoming more and more desperate. I've met families who are resorting to boiling weeds that they've dug out from the ground in order to feed their families.
"People are queuing up to an hour to get bread rations. The long queues are dangerous - bombs could fall at any time and being out in the open is the worst place to be. The weather is getting colder and this is another danger for Gazans..
"People around the world will be about to celebrate the new year - not here in Gaza. This is usually a time when people make new plans and have high hopes for the coming year. At the moment the people in Gaza are just hoping they will be alive tomorrow. "
