The United Nations on Wednesday said that Israeli restrictions are severely hindering aid efforts in Gaza, where civilians are enduring extreme violence amid ongoing hostilities.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, addressing a news conference, shared that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has highlighted the dire conditions faced by Palestinian civilians across Gaza. Between December 22 and January 4, the UN and its partners provided assistance to over 2,000 families in southern and central Gaza and extended aid to approximately 200 families in the Gaza governorate.
However, Dujarric noted that UN-led attempts to deliver aid to North Gaza governorate, under siege for over 90 days, have been repeatedly obstructed by Israeli authorities. He reported that on the previous day, Israeli authorities approved only four out of eight UN requests for coordinated humanitarian movements, with the remaining requests either denied or cancelled due to security and logistical issues.
Dujarric also conveyed concerns from UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian refugees) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, warning of a potential crisis if Israel enforces its ban on the agency. Lazzarini stressed that such a ban would devastate the lives of those reliant on UNRWA’s services, including education for 700,000 children and essential health and aid programs.
The ban, passed by Israel’s Knesset in October 2024, is set to take effect at the end of January 2025. Israel alleges that some UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, claims strongly denied by the UN agency. The UN has reiterated its stance on neutrality, while Palestinians view Israel’s actions as an attempt to dismantle the agency and undermine the refugee issue.
UNRWA, established in 1949, provides assistance to nearly 5.9 million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in nearly 46,000 fatalities, predominantly women and children, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
