UN officials say UN has told Israel it will end aid operations across Gaza

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior United Nations officials have warned Israel that they will halt the regional body’s aid missions across Gaza if it does not take immediate reform steps. Provide protection to humanitarian workers, two UN officials said on Tuesday. This threat remains untouched in a series of UN measures, prompting Israel to do more to ensure aid operations through its forces and stop the growing lawlessness that hinders humanitarian workers.

A UN letter sent to Israeli officials that day called for Israel to, among other steps, provide UN staff with a way to maintain direct correspondence with Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, officials said. Will have to serve.

He spoke on condition of anonymity about ongoing negotiations with Israeli officials. UN officials said there has been a negative final decision on suspending operations across Gaza and that negotiations with the Israelis are continuing.

Israeli military officials did not respond to requests for comment. Israel has in the past said some military crackdowns on humanitarian aid workers, including an attack in April killed seven employees with Global Central KitchenAnd others have denied the allegations.

Citing security issues, the United Nations Global Food Program has already Aid supplies from US-made ferries suspended Designed to provide Palestinians with food and alternative conditions go through hunger Amid the eight-month-long war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

UN and alternative aid officials have complained for months that they have had no access to Israeli forces in the grasslands, contrary to normal procedures employed in war zones globally – known as “deconfliction”. With is a negative way of maintaining communication briefly and without delay. To provide security to the employees to protect them from attack by warring parties.

In its letter to Israeli officials, the UN said it expects Israel to continue its aid operations in Gaza overall, citing dialogue and protection mechanisms for aid workers, two UN officials say. Wants to demonstrate loyalty.

The United Nations said in April that about 30 humanitarian workers had been killed in the line of duty in Gaza since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October.

The United Nations and other humanitarian organizations also do not agree with this Crime is increasing in Gaza And the feature advised Israel to make additional efforts to strengthen the overall security of its operations from attack and robbery. Chaos has rocked what Israel said was a fight to allow an unused safe corridor to bring aid into southern Gaza, with humanitarian officials announcing that groups of gunmen are continuously blocking convoys, imprisoning drivers. They are being held at gunpoint and using rifles. Their shipment.

“Despite being conflict-free, missiles hit our compounds,” said Steve Taravella, a spokesman for the Global Food Programme, one of the key priority organizations working on humanitarian supplies in Gaza. He was not supporting the UN ultimatum to stop the worldwide operations. “WFP warehouses have been caught in the crossfire twice in the past two weeks.”

Humanitarian officials said conditions for civilians and aid workers have worsened since early May, when Israel launched an offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where many aid groups had based themselves. The operation has paralyzed the main border crossing for food and alternative aid.

Taravella said backup workers looking to get shipments through Kerem Shalom, the primary crossing, face the dangers of fighting, damaged roads, unexploded ordnance and Israeli sanctions, including waiting at checkpoints for five or more days. Involves spending more hours.

“Restoring order is critical for an effective humanitarian response to meet growing needs. UN agencies and others need a safe environment to be able to reach people and reach out at scale,” he said.

Israeli officials say Kerem Shalom issues are a matter of UN-privileged logistics.

One after another, the United Nations has suspended cooperation with the US-built pier since June 9, at a moment when the Israeli army closed the area around the pier to rescue the hostages. killed more than 270 Palestinians,

The moment US and Israeli officials said the negative portion of the pier was destroyed in the raid that rescued four hostages taken by Hamas, UN officials said any confidence in Gaza that the Israeli military Had the mission been destroyed during the campaign, it may have been in danger. Help them painting.

The United Nations has conducted a security review of the ferry operation after the raid, but has not yet made a decision on resuming any sources of supplies from the US-built structure, according to a humanitarian official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details. Discussed. That experience has not yet been publicly vindicated.

Speaking to Newshounds, who was visiting with the US delegation for the meeting of security chiefs in Botswana on Tuesday, a dignitary from the US Company for World Building expressed optimism that aid delivery from the pier would resume sooner or later.

USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman said, “I think the question is when can the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) provide the assurances, and when can the Government of Israel provide, what the United Nations is demanding right now on ceasefire and security.” Is.” Which is working with the Global Food Program on aid distribution from the pier.

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AP newshounds Melanie Liedman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Lolita C. Baldor in Gaborone, Botswana, contributed. Magee reported from Cairo.