Gaza situation 'disastrous' and Israel ban on UNRWA 'extremely worrying' - UN

Israel's determination to prohibition the main assistance bureau providing astir of the humanitarian alleviation successful Gaza is "extremely worrying", says the United Nations' peacekeeping chief.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix told Sky News' The World With Yalda Hakim that UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) is "absolutely essential" to the transportation of specified assistance to Palestinians successful Gaza and the West Bank, wherever entree is controlled by Israel.

More than a twelvemonth into the warfare which was sparked by Hamas's massacre successful confederate Israel connected 7 October past year, the colonisation successful Gaza is successful a "disastrous situation", helium said.

Latest updates: Israel warns caller Hezbollah leader

The Israeli parliament's determination connected Monday to ballot to prohibition the UN bureau for Palestinian refugees, citing the alleged relation of immoderate section unit successful the attack, has raised fears among Israel's Western allies that this volition worsen the humanitarian situation successful Gaza. UNRWA denies allegations of militant ties.

The legislation, which volition instrumentality effect 60 to 90 days aft Israel's overseas ministry notifies the UN, could severely restrict the quality of UNRWA to run successful the Palestinian territories, wherever it is liable for much than 5 cardinal refugees.

Famine fears

The UN World Food Programme has called for contiguous enactment to avert famine successful Gaza, informing that the situation determination could soon worsen amid what it said were terrible restrictions connected assistance flows.

Mr Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for bid operations, said up to present determination had been a "very beardown and precise agreed look of precise superior concern" astir the plight of Gaza's population, and determination has to beryllium "continuous pressure" to guarantee the Israeli authorities volition not beryllium "operationalised".

Since 7 October 2023, immoderate 43,061 radical successful Gaza person been killed successful Israeli attacks, which see airstrikes and a crushed assault, the Hamas-run Palestinian wellness ministry says.

On Tuesday, an Israeli onslaught connected a five-storey gathering wherever displaced Palestinians were sheltering successful bluish Gaza killed astatine slightest 60 people, much than fractional of them women and children, said the ministry.

Meanwhile successful Lebanon, the country's wellness ministry says 2,792 radical person been killed since 8 October 2023.

That was the time that Iranian-ally Hezbollah, a militant and governmental group, started firing rockets into bluish Israel successful a amusement of enactment for Hamas.

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Israel's determination to prohibition UNRWA could person devastating impact

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On Tuesday, 8 Austrian soldiers serving successful the UN peacekeeping unit successful Lebanon were lightly injured successful a rocket onslaught astatine the Naqoura camp, Austrian authorities said.

Mr Lacroix claimed that "in immoderate instances we've seen wide denotation of deliberate attacks" connected peacekeepers successful Lebanon.

"But, I wouldn't accidental that all, attacks oregon each incidents person been deliberate. In a fig of cases, we inactive person to investigate."

He said each attacks against UN peacekeepers are "unacceptable" and it was "critically important" for them to remain.

Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected accusations that Israeli troops had deliberately targeted UNIFIL peacekeepers successful Lebanon arsenic "completely false" and repeated a telephone for them to beryllium withdrawn from combat zones.