The United Nations has warned that the continued danger to aid workers in Gaza is becoming “increasingly intolerable” as Israel’s ongoing military offensive in the enclave continues to block most humanitarian assistance and worsen an already devastating starvation crisis for Palestinians.
On Tuesday, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that Muhannad Hadi, the body’s humanitarian coordinator, wrote on June 17 to the Israeli military about the dire aid situation. Gilles Michaud, the U.N.’s undersecretary for security, spoke with the military on Monday, Dujarric added.
“Humanitarian operations have repeatedly been in the crosshairs in Gaza, and I think you know the number of humanitarian workers that have been killed,” Dujarric said. “We’ve repeatedly talked about humanitarian convoys shot at, and notably last Friday. We’ve talked about areas that were deconflicted that were hit — hospitals, shelters and so on. And the risks, frankly, are becoming increasingly intolerable.”