Not enough aid going into Gaza with Israeli restrictions: UN

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Tuesday noted ongoing difficulties in the distribution of aid within the Gaza Strip while re-emphasizing that a possible Israeli ground operation in Rafah "would have disastrous humanitarian consequences."

The comment by spokesman Stephane Dujarric was in response to being asked during a news conference about the UN's stance on Israel's plans to carry out an offensive in Rafah.

Dujarric said the Israeli authorities have not provided any briefing to the UN about the potential operation but acknowledged that there are reports about the possibility of a ground operation.

He emphasized that the UN and its organizations continue to struggle with humanitarian aid deliveries.

"Given the restrictions imposed by the Israelis on the ground, given the fact that not enough aid is going in, given the fact that we don't have enough trucks inside, given the fact that we've had a large number of our colleagues killed in this conflict, what we need is a humanitarian cease-fire," he said.

Dujarric noted an increase in the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza in the last two days but said the problems persist.

"The challenges remain once they get through the crossing. There's one thing, which is counting trucks that are going through the crossing, then there is the access to the point," he said.

Dujarric noted that not all trucks enter Gaza fully loaded "due to security reasons" and said once they pass the crossings, the aid in the trucks needs to be transferred to smaller trucks for distribution.

He emphasized that there has not been an improvement in that regard and said it is necessary to consider various aspects rather than just the number of incoming trucks.

Israel has waged a military offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.

More than 33,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and nearly 76,000 injured, in addition to mass destruction and displacement.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population of more than 2 million, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.