UN Approves Israel’s Temporary Halt in Gaza Fighting
Israel has consistently defended its efforts to allow aid into Gaza, particularly through its Kerem Shalom border near Rafah, attributing supply theft to militants. On Sunday, the UN welcomed Israel’s decision to “pause” fighting along a southern Gaza route daily to facilitate aid deliveries but called for more “concrete measures” to ensure the humanitarian response is unimpeded.
On Sunday, Israel’s military announced a “local, tactical pause of military activity” during daylight hours in an area of Rafah to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the war-torn Palestinian territory. “We welcome this announcement,” said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN aid agency OCHA, in an email to AFP, though he noted that “this has yet to translate into more aid reaching people in need.”
“We hope this leads to further concrete measures by Israel to address longstanding issues preventing a meaningful humanitarian response in Gaza.”
UN agencies and aid groups have repeatedly raised alarms about severe shortages of food and other essentials in the Gaza Strip, worsened by overland access restrictions and the closure of the key Rafah crossing with Egypt since Israeli forces seized it in early May.
Israel has consistently defended its efforts to allow aid into Gaza, including through its Kerem Shalom border near Rafah, attributing the looting of supplies to militants and accusing humanitarian workers of failing to distribute aid to civilians effectively.
‘Catastrophic Hunger’
“The UN and our humanitarian partners are ready to engage with all parties to ensure life-saving assistance reaches those in need across Gaza, where catastrophic hunger is widespread,” said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN aid agency OCHA.
“Living conditions for affected and displaced families in Gaza are dire. They urgently need food, water, sanitation, shelter, and healthcare, with many living near piles of solid waste, heightening health risks.”
Laerke emphasized that the UN is insisting “humanitarian operations in Gaza must be fully facilitated, and all impediments must be lifted.”
