The Israeli army said on Sunday that there would be a daily cessation of its attacks from five in the morning until four in the evening GMT until further notice in the area extending from the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel to the Salah al-Din Road and then towards the north in Gaza.
UN spokesman Farhan Haq said on Tuesday that the United Nations welcomed this step, but added that “this has not yet translated into more aid reaching those in need.”
He pointed out that the area between Kerem Shalom and Salah al-Din Road is very dangerous.
He added, “The fighting is not the only reason for the inability to receive aid. The lack of any police or rule of law in the region makes transporting goods there very dangerous.”
He continued, saying: “But we are ready to deal with all parties to ensure that aid reaches the people in Gaza, and we will continue to work with the authorities and security forces, trying to find out what can be done to create security conditions.”
“When aid arrives somewhere, there are people who are starving, and they worry that this may be the last food they will see. They have to be sure that there will be a regular flow of goods so that there is no panic when we reach the area,” he explained.
The United Nations and relief organizations have long complained about the risks and obstacles preventing the introduction and distribution of aid throughout Gaza, with the United Nations warning that the specter of famine looms on the horizon.
Since the war between Israel and Hamas began more than eight months ago, aid has entered 2.3 million Palestinians, primarily through two crossings into southern Gaza: the Rafah crossing from Egypt and the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel.
But deliveries were disrupted when Israel intensified its military operations in Rafah last month with the stated goal of defeating the remaining units of Hamas fighters, which led to the closure of the Rafah crossing and the transfer of aid through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Haq pointed out that the Rafah crossing is still closed and that access is limited through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
In northern Gaza, Haq said that the Erez (Beit Hanoun) crossing was no longer accessible due to the escalation in fighting, while the western Erez and Zikim crossings were operational.
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