Israel denies 68 per cent of UN aid access attempts into Gaza since 18 March: UN

The UN reported Wednesday that Israeli authorities have denied at least 68% of its attempts to coordinate humanitarian access into the Gaza Strip since 18 March, Anadolu news agency reported.

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric described humanitarian operations in Gaza as “severely constrained.”

“That is due to the expansion of military operations, as well as the ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid and commercial goods, which has lasted for more than five weeks,” he said at a news conference.

He said there have been “deadly attacks on aid workers and humanitarian facilities.”

“Meanwhile, just since yesterday, the Israeli authorities denied eight of 14 attempts by UN aid workers to coordinate access to people in need of urgent assistance,” Dujarric said.

He stressed that “since the intensification of hostilities on 18 March, the Israeli authorities have denied 68% of the UN’s 170 attempts to coordinate access to reach people across the Gaza Strip and assist with humanitarian assistance.”

READ: Israeli siege ‘devastating’ for Gaza children, says UNRWA

Noting that Israel continues “to reject all attempts to pick up supplies that were brought into Gaza and dropped at the crossings prior to the cargo closure on 2 March,” Dujarric emphasised that “these denials prevent humanitarians from carrying out critical and life-saving missions.”

“Despite the increasingly challenging conditions, the UN and its humanitarian partners remain committed to staying and delivering,” he said.

The Israeli army resumed its deadly assault on Gaza on 18 March, killing nearly 1,400 victims and injuring more than 3,400 — shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that was reached in January.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed last week to escalate attacks on Gaza as efforts continue to implement US President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from the enclave.

Since October 2023, more than 50,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught, with most of the casualties being women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.