The UN Spokesperson has welcomed the announcement on Friday by
the Israeli cabinet that the Kerem Shalom border crossing into
the Gaza Strip will be reopened.
Until the Hamas-led terror attacks of 7 October and Israel’s
full-scale military response which has devastated much of the
enclave, the crossing from Israel was the main route for
commercial goods into Gaza.
Until now, limited humanitarian aid has only been allowed to pass
through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, which serves mainly as a
pedestrian crossing, although aid truck inspections have been
taking place at Kerem Shalom, creating a complex and
time-consuming route for lifesaving deliveries.
“The fast implementation of this agreement will increase the flow
of aid”, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, adding that
“a humanitarian ceasefire will increase the distribution
of that aid across Gaza even more.”
According to news reports, once details are finalized, aid will
be offloaded on the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom.
Mr. Dujarric said that UN humanitarians with the aid coordination
office OCHA have reported that
much of Gaza on Friday remained flooded following heavy rains
“compounding already extreme human
suffering.”
Doctors trapped
“There have been clashes, also according to OCHA, in the vicinity
of Al Awda Hospital in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, with 250
doctors, patients and their family members reportedly trapped.”
Internet services were restored after being down for several
hours on Thursday, which severely impact the ability of emergency
workers to do their jobs and cutting a vital communication route
for hundreds of thousands.
The UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported on Friday
that nearly 1.3 million displaced people are sheltering in
155 UNRWA installations.
“The average number of internally displaced people in UNRWA
facilities, shelters, located in the middle and southern Gaza is
12,387, more than four times their capacity”, said the UN
Spokesperson.
Eight out of 22 UNRWA health centres are still operational in the
Middle and Southern parts of Gaza and UNRWA continued to provide
healthcare to internally displaced people at shelters through 97
medical teams.”
He added that each team is composed of just one to two doctors
and a nurse while around 591 health workers in health centres and
shelters provided support to some 12,000 patients.
Spillover in the Red Sea
Responding to a question at the regular noon briefing in New York
on the announcement by commercial shipping giant Maersk that it
was pausing the passage of ships through the Red Sea, in response
to attacks by Houthi militia, Mr. Dujarric said the decision was
“understandable”.
The group whose militia control much of Yemen including the Red
Sea coast, has vowed to target ships travelling to Israel along
the key shipping route, in support of Hamas. The company said in
a statement the attacks were “alarming” and pose a “significant
threat” to seafarers.
Two ships reportedly came under attack in the strait just on
Friday – one hit by a drone and another by missiles.
The UN Spokesperson said the decision illustrated the impact of
the “continuing attacks” by the Houthis.
“Freedom of navigation is a bedrock of international law, it
needs to be respected…That waterway is critical to the global
economy and global commerce”, he added.
