UN calls for Israel to open more Gaza crossings for surge in aid deliveries
Key Takeaways
- UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher demanded Israel immediately open more crossings to allow a surge in aid into famine-stricken Gaza.
- Fletcher stated that the current aid volume is drastically insufficient, with 190,000 metric tonnes of provisions waiting at the borders.
- Sporadic Israeli attacks continue, and infrastructure damage is severely blocking aid access within Gaza City and the north.
- Fletcher called for the return of international NGOs to help deliver aid at the necessary scale and stop aid looting.
- The Palestinian Authority offered to operate the Rafah crossing, an offer welcomed by the UN.
United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher publicly demanded that Israel immediately open more crossings into the Gaza Strip to facilitate a massive increase in aid deliveries, warning that famine is present, particularly in the north. Fletcher stressed that the hundreds of relief trucks currently being cleared are insufficient compared to the thousands needed to avert a humanitarian disaster, noting that 190,000 metric tonnes of provisions are currently stranded at the borders. While Israeli officials approved 600 trucks under a US-brokered truce, Fletcher deemed this a 'good base' but insufficient, advocating for the return of over 50 international NGOs to help deliver aid at scale and reduce aid looting. Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera noted that the Israeli army retains control over large areas, and destroyed roads are preventing promised aid from reaching the northern parts of the enclave. Despite calls for a ceasefire, sporadic attacks continue, and the Palestinian Authority has offered to operate the Rafah crossing, an offer Fletcher welcomed.
