Some Flour Reaches Gaza As Blockade Eases

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Plumes of smoke rose yesterday over the northern Gaza Strip, where Israel's military urged civilians to evacuate, as rescuers said Israeli strikes across the territory killed more than 50 people.
The latest evacuation warning for parts of Gaza City and neighbouring areas came hours after the UN said it had begun distributing around 90 truckloads of aid in Gaza - the first such delivery since Israel imposed a total blockade on March 2.
The World Food Programme (WFP) later said a“handful of bakeries” had resumed making and distributing bread, while the UN said some trucks were“intercepted” by residents.
Under global pressure to lift the blockade and halt a newly expanded offensive, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was open to a“temporary ceasefire”, but reaffirmed the military aimed to bring all of Gaza under its control.
The vast majority of Gaza's 2.4mn have been displaced at least once during the war.
In Gaza, the Hamas government media office reported the arrival of 87 aid trucks.
Palestinians have been scrambling for basic supplies, with Israel's blockade leading to critical food and medicine shortages.
UN agencies have said that the amount of aid entering Gaza falls far short of what is required to ease the crisis.
AFP footage showed bags of recently delivered flour at a bakery in the central city of Deir Al-Balah, where workers and a host of machines began kneading, shaping, baking and packaging stack after stack of pita bread.
“Some aid is finally reaching Gazans in desperate need, but it's moving far too slowly,” said WFP executive director Cindy McCain.

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