UN Warns of Ongoing Threats to Staff, Civilians in Gaza

(MENAFN) The UN humanitarian office reported on Friday that, despite a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, its personnel and facilities "continue to come under fire," generating hazardous conditions that are hampering relief operations.

In a formal statement, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) emphasized that it "warns that despite the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, UN staff and facilities continue to come under fire, posing unacceptable risks to their safety."

OCHA highlighted that "civilians, including humanitarian workers, and civilian infrastructure – including humanitarian convoys, supplies and facilities – must always be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law."

The agency noted that persistent assaults "expose UN staff, NGO partners, and the people who depend on their services to grave risks, including death and injury, and further impede humanitarian work."

Urging all parties to safeguard both civilians and aid efforts, the UN called on all sides "to protect civilian lives and allow the safe passage of life-saving aid."

Despite the hazards and "other obstacles preventing a full implementation of the humanitarian scale-up," OCHA affirmed that the UN and its collaborators "continue providing services and critical items to people in need across Gaza."

Shifting focus to the occupied West Bank, OCHA stated that the violence "continues unabated," with daily incidents causing casualties, destruction, and displacement. Palestinians face growing mobility restrictions, with "thousands placed under curfew" and numerous others encountering limitations that obstruct access to workplaces, schools, and essential services.

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