Gaza fighting continues despite Israeli ‘pauses’ announcement: UNRWA
UNRWA chief says ‘operationally, nothing has changed yet’ after Israeli army announced planned pauses to allow more aid into Gaza.
|18 Jun 2024
Israeli forces battled with Palestinian groups in Rafah and elsewhere in southern Gaza despite the Israeli military’s announcement on Sunday of tactical pauses in operations to allow humanitarian aid to enter, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini has said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday criticised plans announced by the military to hold daily pauses in fighting along one of the main roads into the besieged Palestinian enclave that has been under relentless Israeli bombardment for more than eight months.
Lazzarini, commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the main organisation delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, said that there had been no pause in the fighting.
“There has been information that such a decision has been taken, but the political level says none of this decision has been taken,” Lazzarini told a press conference on Monday.
“So for the time being, I can tell you that hostilities continue in Rafah and in the south of Gaza. And that operationally, nothing has changed yet.”
The Israeli military said on Monday that its forces were continuing operations in the Rafah area, which included ground fighting.
Residents said Israeli forces were advancing deeper into the central and western areas of Rafah. Hamas forces were fighting from close range inside the Shaboura camp in the heart of Rafah, according to the group’s armed wing and residents, who reported hearing sounds of non-stop explosions and gunfire.
The Israeli military had announced at the weekend the daily pauses from 05:00 GMT until 16:00 GMT in the area from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, to the Salah al-Din Road and then northwards.
It later clarified that operations would continue in Rafah, the main focus of its ongoing assault in southern Gaza.
International humanitarian officials have repeatedly said that Israeli inspections, ongoing fighting, and looting by desperate residents have impeded aid deliveries. Israeli ground troops have been operating in the southern city of Rafah since early May. They have since sealed shut the vital Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Before the Rafah ground operation, there was already an inadequate flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip’s south stood in the hundreds – not nearly enough to sustain the daily needs of the enclave’s population of 2.3 million.
‘Hell on earth’
“As we have reiterated, humanitarian operations in Gaza must be fully facilitated, and all impediments must be lifted,” UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told The Associated Press on Monday. “We need to be able to deliver aid safely throughout Gaza.”
With the Israeli assault on Gaza in its ninth month, Haq said, displaced Palestinians in the territory urgently need food, water, sanitation, shelter and healthcare, “with many living near piles of solid waste, heightening health risks”.
He said Israel needs to ensure that the movement of aid convoys and staff members through checkpoints is expedited, that all roads are operational, and that fuel – which is in critically short supply – enters Gaza regularly.
Meanwhile, UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said in an opinion piece in The New York Times that the impoverished and blockaded Gaza Strip has been turned into “hell on earth” as famine looms.
He said humanitarian aid is obstructed and politicised while hunger and disease spread, “and humanitarian workers, health care workers, and journalists have all endured unacceptable losses”.
Echoing his remarks, Gaza’s Government Media Office accused Israel and the United States of “purposefully” worsening famine-like conditions in Gaza by “withholding humanitarian aid as a tool for political pressure”.
In a statement on Monday, the media office accused Israel and the US administration of “deliberately aggravating the humanitarian situation” in Gaza to achieve political goals.
Separately on Monday, Norway said that it was increasing its funding to UNRWA by 100 million kroner ($9.3m).
UNRWA was plunged into a crisis in January, when Israel accused about a dozen of its 13,000 Gaza employees of involvement in the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel.
The allegations prompted several countries, including top donor the US, to suspend funding to the agency, though many have since resumed payments.
“UNRWA is the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza,” Norway’s Minister for International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim said in a statement.
“The war, accusations made by Israel, continuous attacks on the organisation and funds withheld by major donors have put UNRWA in an extremely difficult financial situation,” she said.
An independent review of UNRWA, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, found some “neutrality-related issues” but said Israel had yet to provide evidence for its main allegations.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Latest
“What’s a house when you’ve lost a country?’ she says with a sigh.”
― Yasmina Khadra, The Attack
Saya senang menjadi salah satu pengunjung di situs internet hebat ini (:, sangat dihargai telah memposting.
I have recently started a blog, the info you provide on this website has helped me tremendously. Thanks for all of your time & work. “There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” by Homer.
Saya perlu mengatakan, ini adalah salah satu artikel terbaik yang pernah saya baca dalam waktu yang lama. Informasi yang sangat berguna. Terima kasih telah berbagi.
Berharga info. Beruntung saya menemukan situs Anda secara tidak sengaja, dan saya terkejut mengapa kecelakaan ini tidak terjadi lebih awal! Saya mem-bookmark.
Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for your weblog. You have some really good posts and I believe I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d absolutely love to write some articles for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please blast me an e-mail if interested. Thanks!
Saya selalu memikirkan hal ini, sangat dihargai telah mengunggah.
Saya senang menjadi salah satu dari banyak pengunjung di situs hebat ini (:, terima kasih telah mengunggah.
I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.
Hi! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing a few months of hard work due to no back up. Do you have any solutions to protect against hackers?
I found your weblog web site on google and verify just a few of your early posts. Continue to maintain up the excellent operate. I just extra up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. In search of forward to reading extra from you later on!…
I like the helpful info you provide in your articles. I will bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently. I am quite sure I will learn lots of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!
I conceive this internet site has very excellent pent content material articles.
so much superb information on here, :D.
Good web site! I really love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I’m wondering how I might be notified when a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your RSS feed which must do the trick! Have a great day!
Simply desire to say your article is as amazing. The clearness in your post is just cool and i can assume you’re an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue the rewarding work.
Thanks for a marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it, you might be a great author.I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will come back down the road. I want to encourage that you continue your great job, have a nice day!
Hi there, I found your site via Google while searching for a related topic, your website came up, it looks good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
F*ckin’ awesome things here. I’m very glad to see your post. Thanks a lot and i am looking forward to contact you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?
I’ll right away seize your rss feed as I can not find your email subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please permit me recognize in order that I may subscribe. Thanks.
Very nice post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wished to mention that I have truly loved browsing your weblog posts. After all I will be subscribing for your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!