The Israeli army announced that Israel will facilitate the delivery of additional aid convoys after opening a new land route to deliver food to northern Gaza. “We are trying to flood the area with humanitarian aid,” Admiral Daniel Hagary said.
The Israeli army announced earlier that six trucks loaded with food entered through Gate No. 96 of the Gaza border fence on Tuesday evening. An IDF spokesman said additional convoys and shipments from other entry points would arrive, in addition to air and sea transport, adding that more needed to be done to ensure aid was distributed fairly and efficiently.
According to the United Nations, at least 576,000 Palestinians in Gaza – a quarter of the population – are at risk of famine. The United Nations has previously criticized Israel because “continuous fighting and Israeli bombing, as well as insecurity, frequent border closures and access restrictions” hinder safe and effective relief operations.
So far, 27 people, including 23 children, have died due to malnutrition and dehydration in northern Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The limited amount of aid reaching northern Gaza was transported almost entirely through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing and the Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing in southern Gaza, and then distributed by truck, but has become increasingly difficult to access in recent months.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on Wednesday that Israeli forces attacked a food distribution center in Rafah, killing one of its employees and wounding 22 others. The Gaza Health Ministry said five people were killed in the Israeli raid, while the Israeli military said a “timely strike” killed a Hamas leader.
(BBC)
