(MENAFN) The United Nations on Monday said that Israeli-imposed restrictions are still obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, even a month after the ceasefire took effect.

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Farhan Haq explained at a press briefing that "one month into the ceasefire, efforts to ramp up aid are still being held back by red tape, ongoing bans on key humanitarian partners, too few crossings and routes, and insecurity that persists despite the ceasefire."

He added that in some areas, UN teams must "coordinate every movement in advance with the Israeli authorities." According to Haq, Israel fully facilitated only two out of eight aid missions, while "four were impeded on the ground — including one that was delayed for 10 hours before the team finally received a green light to move."

Despite these challenges, Haq said the UN and its partners are "seizing every opportunity to expand operations."

When asked about delays in opening additional border crossings, he pointed to Israel as the main obstacle: "Well, the holdup is on the Israeli side. We've been asking them and trying to coordinate with them to get more crossings opened, but they still have not done so."

Reports indicate that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has resulted in over 69,000 deaths and more than 170,600 injuries, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

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