GENEVA: The United Nations said on Tuesday that the Israeli authorities have denied the UN access to the now-closed Rafah crossing — the key entry point for humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip.
The closure, enforced by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), poses a significant risk to ongoing aid operations, according to Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA.
Laerke highlighted the dire consequences of the closure, emphasizing that the inability to transport fuel into Gaza through Rafah could cripple essential aid efforts. With both Rafah and the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel sealed off, the primary routes for delivering aid into Gaza are choked off, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
“The one-day buffer is for the entire operation in Gaza,” Laerke cautioned, underlining the critical need for immediate access to fuel to sustain essential services such as transportation and electricity generation.
The closure of Rafah comes amidst escalating tensions in the region, with the Israeli army asserting “operational control” over the Palestinian side of the crossing. Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani stated that residents were ordered to evacuate to Al-Mawasi.
However, James Elder, spokesman for the UN children’s agency UNICEF, lamented the disregard for civilian lives amidst the escalating conflict. He recounted the tragic story of Mustafa, a young boy fatally shot in what was supposed to be a safe zone for fleeing families.
Elder emphasized the urgency of the situation, urging all parties involved to prioritize the protection of civilians and facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. He stressed that prolonged closures of Rafah could lead to famine and further loss of innocent lives. “Parties to this conflict continue to utterly disregard the lives and protection of children and civilians,” he added.
Since October 7, Israel has launched a relentless military offensive that has killed more than 34,700 Palestinian people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.
