Tuesday, 16 July 2024 04:34

Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 284

Rate this item
(0 votes)

Israel allows UN to bring in more equipment amid Gaza lawlessness

The United Nations said on Monday that it will start bringing in more armored vehicles and personal protection equipment for its humanitarian aid operations in the Gaza Strip after receiving approval from Israeli authorities.

The approval was in response to a U.N. letter sent to Israel last month on safety and security in Gaza, said Scott Anderson, deputy humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas enters its tenth month and law and order has broken down.

The U.N. has long complained of obstacles to getting aid into Gaza - Israel inspects and approves all trucks - and says it is also struggling to distribute aid amid "total lawlessness" within the enclave of 2.3 million people, where a global hunger monitor last month said there is a high risk of famine.

Anderson said the U.N. was due to start bringing more armored vehicles and protection equipment into Gaza on Tuesday.

"Some communications equipment has also been approved," he told reporters, like hand-held radios, but added that discussions are still continuing on a U.N. request for stable internet access.

The U.N. has said it wants communications that did not rely on cell phone towers because they were not reliable. However, Israeli authorities have security concerns about what Hamas could do if it accessed satellite internet service.

'CRIME FAMILIES'

Anderson said the U.N. needed to bring in aid in the right quantity and quality, but several factors "continue to stand in our way." He listed problems including restrictions on movement, aid worker safety, unpredictable working hours, communications challenges and a lack of fuel.

"And we've seen a complete breakdown of law and order and we've seen essentially what are crime families preventing the free movement of aid into Gaza to assist people," he said.

"The truck drivers that we use have been regularly threatened or assaulted ... they've become less and less willing, understandably, to move assistance from the border crossings to our warehouses and then onto people that are in need," Anderson said.

He said the U.N. was getting between 25 and 70 aid trucks a day into northern Gaza, but there was no commercial access.

Anderson said in southern Gaza "we've been barely able to hit 100 trucks on a good day over the last week because of law and order problems," but that commercial deliveries were doing a little better "but they pay essentially protection money to the families in the south and they also have armed guards."

Aid officials say about 600 trucks of humanitarian and commercial supplies are needed in Gaza daily to meet the needs of the population.

He said the U.N. was "in talks with everybody about trying to get some sort of police force established" and in the meantime was working with the families that are hindering aid deliveries to try and address the problem.

"It's a few families that are trying to take advantage of this opportunity and that's why I'm confident if we get police back at work that they can address the issue," Anderson said.

 

Reuters

November 12, 2024

Manufacturers had unsold goods worth N1.24trn in H1 2024 - MAN

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) says unsold goods in the manufacturing sector rose to…
November 12, 2024

Ex-Gov Aregbesola warns of imminent revolution in Nigeria amid rising misery, hunger, insecurity

Former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has issued a stark warning about the worsening socio-economic…
November 07, 2024

3 things emotionally intelligent people always do with their smartphones

Jenny Woo Picture this common scenario: Person #1 is in the middle of sharing something…
November 09, 2024

Sick man brought to bank on hospital bed to confirm his identity

A severely sick Chinese man was pushed to a local bank branch on a hospital…
November 12, 2024

US court issues fresh arrest warrant for Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema

A United States court has reissued an order for the arrest of Allen Onyema, the…
November 12, 2024

What to know after Day 992 of Russia-Ukraine war

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine battles to shape 'starting positions' for any war talks after Trump return…
November 11, 2024

Hackers are targeting people who type these six words into their computer, smartphones

Computer users Googling whether Bengal cats are legal to own after finding themselves victims of…
October 27, 2024

Nigeria awarded 3-0 win over Libya after airport fiasco

Nigeria have been awarded a 3-0 victory over Libya, and three vital points, from their…

NEWSSCROLL TEAM: 'Sina Kawonise: Publisher/Editor-in-Chief; Prof Wale Are Olaitan: Editorial Consultant; Femi Kawonise: Head, Production & Administration; Afolabi Ajibola: IT Manager;
Contact Us: [email protected] Tel/WhatsApp: +234 811 395 4049

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 NewsScroll. All rights reserved.