Israel escalates pressure on UN aid agency amid Gaza hunger crisis

The UN’s humanitarian agency, Ocha, has warned that Gaza is enduring an unprecedented hunger crisis, describing aid deliveries as “a trickle” compared to the soaring needs on the ground.

“Ocha warns that the hunger crisis in Gaza has never been so dire,” the agency said in a new update. “All too often, civilians approaching UN trucks are shot at.”

Israel has accused the UN agency of bias. Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, said without any proof this week that there is “clear evidence of Hamas affiliations within Ocha’s ranks”.

On Wednesday, Israeli authorities announced they would impose tighter restrictions on Ocha, including vetting hundreds of its employees and refusing to extend the visa of its head of office.

The UN has pushed back, saying Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “has full confidence in [Ocha’s] professionalism and impartiality”.

“Any punitive measures will only add to the obstacles preventing humanitarians from reaching people facing hunger, displacement and deprivation,” the agency said