THE United Nations has renewed its call to expand humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip, stressing that Israeli restrictions continue to block vital supplies nearly a month after the ceasefire agreement.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Israel still obstructs the entry of essential items, including vehicles, spare parts, solar panels, portable toilets, X-ray machines, and electric generators, claiming they fall outside the definition of humanitarian aid or are classified as ‘dual-use’ goods.
Since the ceasefire, Israeli authorities have denied 107 shipments containing blankets, winter clothing, and materials needed to maintain Gaza’s collapsing water and sanitation systems.
About 90 per cent of those blocked requests came from 30 local and international NGOs, rejected on the grounds that they were ‘unauthorised’ to deliver aid.
The UN also warned that Gaza faces a severe shortage of warehouse space to store incoming relief, a logistical bottleneck that threatens the sustainability of its 60-day emergency response plan.
The renewed restrictions have worsened conditions across the devastated enclave, where more than 238,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured since Israel’s genocidal assault began on 7 October 2023.
Thousands remain missing under rubble, and widespread famine continues despite repeated rulings by the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to end its assault and lift its blockade.
Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have continued to breach the truce through bombardments, incursions, and demolitions.
On Friday morning, an Israeli drone strike injured a Palestinian child near al-Sikka Street in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighbourhood.
Artillery fire intensified across the eastern border, particularly near Khan Younis and Bani Suhaila, with shells also landing in Gaza City’s al-Tuffah area.
Military vehicles stationed southeast of Khan Younis opened sustained machine-gun fire, while occupation forces carried out controlled explosions in several residential districts, continuing the systematic destruction that has flattened much of Gaza’s housing stock.
Local and international monitors have documented nearly 200 Israeli ceasefire violations since 10 October, resulting in numerous civilian deaths, injuries, and the further destruction of homes and infrastructure.
The United Nations estimates the cost of reconstruction at roughly $70 billion.
As winter approaches, relief groups warn that the situation for displaced families is becoming unbearable. Amjad al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO Network in Gaza, said that living conditions remain dire despite repeated appeals for urgent supplies. ‘We have not witnessed any improvement in the type of humanitarian assistance entering,’ he said.
‘The people of the Strip need 300,000 tents and winter clothing.’
