Omar Mansour says every phone call with his family in the Gaza Strip might be the last.

So during those few minutes when he is able to talk to his parents, brother and sisters, the Vancouver resident makes sure he tells them he loves them.

害羞草研究所淚 ask them how they are. But it害羞草研究所檚 mostly goodbyes, you know? Mostly goodbyes, and I love you,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淎nd I thank them for what they害羞草研究所檝e done for me. Because it might be the last call, the last time I hear their voice.害羞草研究所�

Five of his cousins were killed by Israeli snipers over the past week when they went to look for food and water, he said.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 only the family I got to know about. I lost touch with most of my 60 cousins after the war began.害羞草研究所�

Israel pounded areas of the Gaza Strip with airstrikes and artillery on Saturday, a day after the United States vetoed a United Nations resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the first time invoked Article 99 of the United Nations Charter, which enables a United Nations chief to highlight threats he sees to international peace and security, and warned of a 害羞草研究所渉umanitarian catastrophe害羞草研究所� in Gaza.

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But United States Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said on Friday that halting military action would allow Hamas to continue to rule Gaza and 害羞草研究所渙nly plant the seeds for the next war.害羞草研究所�

The war was triggered by Hamas害羞草研究所檚 Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, in which militants from Gaza killed about 1,200, most of them civilians, and took about 240 people hostage.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory has surpassed 17,400 over the past two months, with more than 46,000 wounded. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, but said 70 per cent of the dead were women and children.

Gaza害羞草研究所檚 borders with Israel and Egypt are effectively sealed, leaving 2.3 million Palestinians with no option other than to seek refuge within the territory 40 kilometres long and some 11 kilometres wide.

Mansour said his family has been sheltering in a school run by the United Nations close to Gaza City. The small building is packed with people where they share the floor, which he said has become their world.

But the family is afraid the school might be bombed any time, he said.

害羞草研究所淎ll families are surviving day by day.害羞草研究所�

During a weeklong ceasefire the family walked to their home in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, said Mansour, a permanent resident who arrived in Canada in 2014.

His 23-year-old brother, Firas Omar, described to Mansour the scenes they saw as they navigated piles of stones that were once homes, hospitals, schools and shops. They saw mothers looking for children under mortar, snaking queues for water and food, and a stench of dead bodies filled their noses, he said.

Mansour害羞草研究所檚 family害羞草研究所檚 home is now rubble, he said. Members of the family used their hands to dig through the ruins and found a few documents that they had stored in a lockbox, and a few cans of food that had survived the bombing.

害羞草研究所淎 can of tuna, a few cans of beans and some corn,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淢y mom and dad are in a starvation mode.害羞草研究所�

His family got a chance to shower for the first time since Oct. 7 during the ceasefire, he said. But there害羞草研究所檚 no water to wash their clothes and they have no idea when they can shower next, he added.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no water to drink.害羞草研究所�

Since the ceasefire ended on Dec. 1, and bombing resumed, the family has been eating a few spoonfuls of the canned food and trying to make it last as long as possible, he said.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not going to last much longer,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淔iras is scared to go out too much to look for food because there are snipers everywhere.害羞草研究所�

One of his sisters, Ruba, and her kids are in 害羞草研究所渟tarvation mode害羞草研究所� in southern Gaza, he said.

One of his other sisters, Dina, who has a four-month-old boy, is with Mansour害羞草研究所檚 parents, seeking refuge in the school.

害羞草研究所淭he baby cries from hunger all the time.害羞草研究所�

His mother, Sanaa Omar, who is in her 60s and needs medication, hasn害羞草研究所檛 seen a doctor since the war began, he said.

害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 tired. She is exhausted. Drained by this whole tension,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪o she just wants to be out of this whole situation. And she just wants to have some peace.害羞草研究所�

When asked where his family finds the resilience to go on, Mansour said: 害羞草研究所淲hat choice do they have? None of them have a choice.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� With files from The Associated Press

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press