UN says Israel continues to block aid missions to Gaza

A UN spokesperson said Israeli authorities have disrupted humanitarian efforts in Gaza, with only one-third of aid missions authorized to operate last week, despite increasing needs, News.az reports citing foreign media.

Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, said on Friday that just one third of 129 planned aid missions were able to be carried out with approval of Israeli military, even as humanitarian agencies continue to sound the alarm over the dire living conditions for Gaza’s 2.3 million population after 13 months of war.

"Israeli forces prevented two-thirds of the 129 different humanitarian aid operations from reaching the Gaza Strip last week," Dujarric said.

He also warned that the coming winter will bring further misery to the population the majority of whom are living in tents or damaged buildings not suitable for cold and wet weather.

"As winter nears, Palestinians across the Gaza Strip are in dire need of adequate shelter to protect them from the rain and cold. Our partners are distributing tents and tarpaulins as quickly as possible, but just a fraction of the supplies needed are entering Gaza," Dujarric said.

News.Az