GENEVA: The United Nations (UN) humanitarian office said on Friday that Israeli authorities are consistently blocking access to northern Gaza, impeding the delivery of aid and significantly affecting humanitarian operations in the region.
Andrea De Domenico, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, expressed concerns about the escalating challenges in the northern Gaza operations.
According to De Domenico, there is systematic refusal from the Israeli side, hindering their efforts to access the north.
The Israeli offensive has led to the displacement of a majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million population. It has also resulted in the destruction of civilian infrastructure and severe shortages of essential resources such as food, water, and medicine.
Throughout the hostilities, aid deliveries to northern Gaza have been limited, with the area being completely cut off from external aid for weeks during the conflict.
De Domenico highlighted the systematic denial of support to hospitals, describing it as reaching a level of inhumanity beyond comprehension. OCHA has not received authorization to return to Jabalia, and the approval for fuel deliveries to Al-Shifa Hospital is restricted to a specific quantity lasting for a determined period.
In a separate statement, the UN human rights office accused Israel of repeatedly failing to uphold international humanitarian law.
Elizabeth Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), emphasized Israel’s recurrent violations of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction, proportionality, and precautions in carrying out attacks.
