Unrwa chief says Gaza aid needs to be 'further increased'

The head of the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) has welcomed the recent increase in the number of aid trucks that entered Gaza, saying that it now needs to be sustained and increased.

Philippe Lazzarini said 310 aid trucks entered on Monday, the highest number since the war began on 7 October. 

"This shows that when there is a will there is a way," Lazzarini wrote on social media site X.

"It needs now to be sustained & further increased. Trucks should include both commercial and humanitarian supplies so that the markets can re-open," he added. 

Palestinian officials in Gaza say up to 1,000 humanitarian aid and commercial trucks are needed to enter the strip daily to alleviate the humanitarian crises caused by 200 days of sustained Israeli siege and strikes. 

"Famine in northern Gaza can be averted only through meaningful and uninterrupted supply, including through Unrwa," said Lazzarini.