The UN’s main aid agency in Gaza, UNRWA, said Israel did not meet a recent deadline imposed by the U.S. to significantly increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, with warning of its failure risking the loss of U.S. military support.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously issued a threat in October, stating that there would need to be at least 350 trucks of aid per day entering Gaza by November 12. However, UN officials say the average daily number of truckloads to enter the enclave has dropped miles below that, at just around 40 truckloads per day.
Israel says it has increased access to the strip by aid and opened additional crossing points, including the Kissufim crossing, to bring in more supplies to Gaza. Still, sources from UNRWA officials and employees inside Gaza say the strip remains on the brink of severe shortages of crucial supplies, with many residents facing acute food shortages and high prices.
The intensity of the conflict, restricted access, and high demand have pushed the situation in Gaza to a critical point where food scarcity incidents are on the rise and fears of a humanitarian crisis are expressed.
It has expressed increasing concern about the blockade by Israel, particularly aware of the critical reliance on American military assistance. Officials at the Israeli end respond that logistical challenges and security matters have made it hard to implement the delivery of aid, and some truck were reportedly commandeered by armed elements in the local population.
However, according to the UN, Israel as the occupying power, must ensure all necessary arrangements to ensure safe and effective delivery of aid. This further raises the U.S.’s stakes in implementing the deadline rigidly, especially with the worsening humanitarian situation and international condemnation gathering steam. To read more on this development, visit Global News and Al Jazeera.