UNRWA pauses aid through key Gaza crossing as hunger stalks Palestinians
Al Jazeera
Suspension of humanitarian aid into Gaza comes as Israeli attacks kill almost 100 Palestinians in the last 24 hours.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has halted the delivery of aid through the Karem Abu Salem (known as Kerem Shalom to Israelis) crossing between Israel and Gaza because of security concerns, its chief said, as widespread hunger and deadly Israeli bombardments continue.
“We are pausing the delivery of aid through Kerem Shalom, the main crossing point for humanitarian aid into Gaza. The road out of this crossing has not been safe for months. On 16 November, a large convoy of aid trucks was stolen by armed gangs,” UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on X.
“Yesterday, we tried to bring in a few food trucks on the same route. They were all taken,” he added, warning hunger was “rapidly deepening” in Gaza.
Lazzarini listed how the humanitarian operation had become “unnecessarily impossible” due to “the ongoing siege, hurdles from Israeli authorities, political decisions to restrict the amounts of aid, lack of safety on aid routes and targeting of local police”.
He called on Israel to ensure aid flowed to Gaza and said the country “must refrain from attacks on humanitarian workers”.
