UN accuses Israel of blocking aid as famine spreads in Gaza
Dujarric reported that displacement caused by Israel has surged beyond one million since the March ceasefire collapsed.
NEW YORK, United States (MNTV) — The United Nations has accused Israel of systematically obstructing efforts to deliver food and other essential supplies to civilians in Gaza, warning that starvation is worsening as military operations intensify.
At a press briefing Thursday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric cited data from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), saying that “the last remaining lifelines for civilians in Gaza City are collapsing.”
“In just five days, 11 UNRWA premises sheltering about 11,000 people in Gaza City have been damaged by direct or indirect hits,” he said.
Dujarric reported that displacement has surged beyond one million since the March ceasefire collapsed. “About 200,000 people have been forced from northern to southern Gaza over the past month, including 56,000 since Sunday,” he noted, adding that many families are sleeping on streets or in makeshift tents with little access to food or water.
He said aid agencies are struggling to reach hungry communities because “opportunities to support starving people are being systematically blocked.” New restrictions appear “every week,” he added, singling out the closure of the Zikim crossing — the only direct route from Israel to northern Gaza, where famine has been confirmed — which has been shut since the weekend.
Israeli authorities have also barred some food items, including peanut butter, labeling them “luxuries,” leaving tons of purchased supplies stuck outside Gaza, Dujarric said. Lengthy inspections and unpredictable clearance procedures continue to delay other shipments.
Inside the enclave, aid convoys face further hurdles. “Just yesterday, three of 14 coordinated movements were denied — including two intended to bring food to the north,” the spokesperson reported.
The UN urged Israel to reopen Zikim and lift unnecessary barriers, warning that without immediate access for relief workers, hunger and displacement will escalate further across Gaza.
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