Israel blocking aid to northern Gaza: UN

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the organisation’s aid efforts are being hampered by Israeli actions. 

In the first 11 days of 2024 only 5 out of 24 planned aid deliveries of food, medicines, water and other lifesaving supplies to the north of Gaza proceeded.

“Humanitarian partners were forced to cancel or delay missions in two instances due to excessive delays at Israeli checkpoints or because the agreed routes were unpassable,” it said, adding that only two of the five missions that were allowed in were able to fully deliver their aid.

“The ability of humanitarian partners to respond to the extensive needs in the northern part of Gaza is being curtailed by recurring denials of access for aid deliverers and lack of coordinated safe access by the Israeli authorities. These denials and severe access constraints paralyse the ability of humanitarian partners to respond meaningfully, consistently and at-scale.”