STORY: :: A senior U.N. aid official says an Israeli evacuation order
has 'wiped out' attempts to improve aid deliveries in Gaza
:: July 3, 2024
:: Andrea De Domenico, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs:
"In the last weeks we have been discussing a lot with the Israeli and the humanitarian community, how to resume our ability to bring assistance in from Karem Abu Salem, so inside Gaza and distribute throughout the Strip. And we have been engineering a lot of solutions and trying and testing, improving and failing at times - at times - and now with this evacuation order, all this has been, again, wiped out."
Israel has been critical of U.N.-led aid operations in the enclave of 2.3 million people, where the U.N. says distribution is not only hampered by the nearly nine-month-long war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, but also lawlessness.
Israel's military announced this month a daily daytime pause in attacks to facilitate the collection of aid from Kerem Shalom, but the U.N. has said the lawlessness means it is still too dangerous and it is Israel's responsibility to restore public order and safety in Gaza.
De Domenico said that in the past few weeks there had been a lot of discussions with Israel on how to improve the situation. He added that said alternative plans were now blocked by the evacuation order, but he hoped a protection agreement could be reached with the Israeli military for some areas.
