The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that new measures implemented by Israeli forces have created significant operational challenges for humanitarian efforts to deliver aid into the Gaza Strip.
According to OCHA, Israeli authorities began rerouting UN convoys on Monday through a new route that includes an additional checkpoint for access to the Kerem Shalom Crossing from inside Gaza. The change has resulted in numerous difficulties, including delays, congestion, technical disruptions, and slow inspection and screening procedures.
As a result, only a portion of the supplies that humanitarian agencies had planned to collect from the crossing over the past two days was successfully retrieved.
During the daily UN press briefing in New York, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that Kerem Shalom is currently “the only cargo crossing available to us,” noting that the Zikim Crossing in northern Gaza has remained closed for a second consecutive week.
Dujarric added that UN teams are engaging with Israeli authorities to ensure smoother access to crossings along the Gaza perimeter and to advocate for the reopening of additional routes.
Meanwhile, UN humanitarian partners distributed nearly 5,000 bedding items, 150 tents, and 2,000 tarpaulins to more than 5,700 families over the past week in response to ongoing and emerging shelter needs.
However, humanitarian organizations reported that dwindling stockpiles, continued restrictions on the entry of essential materials, and limited access to affected areas are making it increasingly difficult to meet the daily needs of the large number of displaced people in Gaza, according to Dujarric.
The UN spokesperson also highlighted Israel’s decision to extend a military order closing three refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank.
“Information from our colleagues at UNRWA indicates that more than 33,000 Palestinian residents of these camps have been displaced and have not been allowed to return since January of last year,” Dujarric said. “This extension prolongs their displacement for an additional two months, until July 31.”
He called for the removal of restrictions on freedom of movement and the reversal of policies that prolong displacement or hinder access to essential services and livelihood opportunities.
