10/23/2024–|Last updated: 10/23/202405:34 PM (Mecca time)
Spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jens Laerke, said that Israel rejected all attempts to bring humanitarian aid into the northern Gaza Strip between October 2 and 15, and did not allow any food aid to enter the region.
On October 5, the Israeli army began unprecedented bombing operations on the camp, the town of Jabalia, and large areas in the northern Gaza Strip, before announcing the next day the start of the invasion of these areas under the pretext of “preventing the Hamas movement from regaining its power in the region,” while the Palestinians say that Israel wants to occupy the region and displace its residents.
Laerke confirmed that between October 2 and October 15, Israel did not allow any food aid to enter the northern region of the Gaza Strip.
The famine and thirst crisis worsened greatly in the northern Gaza Strip, with the Israeli army refusing to bring in any trucks carrying food or aid, according to several sources and besieged citizens.
Rejection of aid convoys
The UN spokesman pointed out that only some aid entered northern Gaza this October, noting that the Israeli authorities rejected 28 requests for coordinated humanitarian aid movements to Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahia in the region between 6 and 20 October.
He added that the Israeli occupation allowed only 4 out of 66 humanitarian aid missions from the checkpoint in southern Gaza to the north in the first 20 days of this October, and in the first two weeks of this month, 85% of the aid was rejected.
Laerke added that all attempts between October 2-15 were rejected, and food aid was not allowed to enter.
He pointed out that OCHA teams visited several areas in northern Gaza on October 19, noting that there is an urgent need for shelter support due to overcrowding, and that some displaced people are currently living in bathrooms.
Prevent humanitarian teams
The speaker also touched on the medical situation in the region, noting that the Israeli occupation forces prevented the entry of a team consisting of the United Nations, an international non-governmental organization and the Palestinian Red Crescent. After 9 failed attempts, the team was able to reach Kamal Adwan and Al-Sahaba maternity hospitals in Gaza on October 12. The first one is running.
Laerke stressed that there is a sharp decline in humanitarian aid supplies entering Gaza after Israel launched ground attacks on Rafah.
In this regard, Laerke said that last September, an average of 54 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza daily from all entry points, which represents a third of what entered last April, and the average of 165 trucks entering Gaza per day at that time.
He stressed the difficulty of delivering the limited aid entering Gaza to the required destinations due to road conditions, forced displacement orders blocking main supply routes, rejection of coordination requests, overcrowding and lack of public order.
Laerke said Gaza was the most dangerous place in the world for the United Nations and its partners, with 300 of their colleagues killed, warehouses bombed, roads damaged and full of unexploded ordnance.
The Israeli army cut off communications and the Internet from the area several days ago, causing a scarcity of videos and photos documenting what is happening to the displaced, in addition to the difficulty of communicating with the people.