The United Nations Says Israel Still Rejects Efforts To Send Aid To The Northern Gaza Strip
JAKARTA - Senior United Nations (UN) officials say Israel is still blocking efforts to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the importance of protecting civilians and meeting its needs amid the ongoing conflict.
UN Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Israel continues to reject efforts to deliver aid to areas north of the Palestinian enclave.
In a statement Dujarric said the majority of UN-led aid missions to northern Gaza, especially those trying to reach the trapped area, were rejected, quoted from WAFA December 18.
Dujarric said the Israeli authorities the day before again rejected three humanitarian aid missions carried out by the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs Coordination (OCHA).
He said the aid mission was originally scheduled to bring food and water to some parts of the trapped northern Gaza.
"PBB has tried to reach the trapped area 40 times since early December, 38 of which have been rejected and two prevented," he said.
Dujarric again stressed the need to protect civilians in Gaza, meet basic humanitarian needs, and called on Israel to facilitate the work of the United Nations and its aid partners in the region.
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Separately, Gaza's medical authorities confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from Palestine since the latest conflict there broke out on October 7, 2023 has increased to 45,097 people. Meanwhile, the number of injured victims was reported to have reached 107,244 people. The majority of victims were women and children.