On the 31st local time, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that hostilities in the Gaza Strip continue, including several airstrikes targeting residential buildings, resulting in several civilian deaths. Additionally,
a significant number of people have been injured or killed while accessing food and other essentials, exacerbating the famine situation. Despite Israel’s announcement that it has designated the route of the United Nations and its humanitarian aid partners as a safe route, trucks still face long delays, posing dangers to drivers, rescue workers, and the public. Currently, only one route is available for the UN team to leave from Kerem Shalom, with Israeli ground forces setting up checkpoints along this route.
In recent days, humanitarian agencies from the United Nations have collected key supplies such as flour, biscuits, nutritional products, and hygiene items from crossing points controlled by Israel. However, under the current circumstances, most of these supplies are being taken by people on the way rather than distributed at community distribution points. These distribution points can prioritize the care of vulnerable populations, including those with malnutrition, elderly, women, sick or disabled individuals.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs urges Israel to allow a large volume of humanitarian and commercial goods to enter all crossing points through multiple routes. In the 92 coordination assistance attempts made from last Wednesday to Tuesday, nearly 16% were directly rejected. Additionally, 26% of the actions initially received approval but encountered obstacles, leading to many missions being either halted or only partially completed. (CCTV Zhu He)