UNRWA halts aid deliveries through 'unsafe' Karem Abu Salem crossing
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UNRWA announces the suspension of humanitarian aid deliveries through a major crossing into Gaza, amid continuous looting operations and the direct targeting of aid convoys.
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An Israeli soldier drives on the Gaza side of the Karem Abu Salem crossing between "Israel" and the Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP)
The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, announced on Sunday that the organization has suspended the delivery of humanitarian aid through the Karem Abu Salem crossing between "Israel" and the Gaza Strip, citing security concerns.
In a post on X, Lazzarini said the humanitarian organization was halting aid deliveries due to the hazars on roads through the crossing, noting "On 16 November, a large convoy of aid trucks was stolen by armed gangs. Yesterday, we tried to bring in a few food trucks on the same route. They were all taken."
#BREAKING 🛑:
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) December 1, 2024
We are pausing the delivery of aid through Kerem Shalom, the main crossing point for humanitarian aid into #Gaza.
The road out of this crossing has not been safe for months.
On 16 November, a large convoy of aid trucks was stolen by armed gangs.
Yesterday, we…
He further lists the reasons why humanitarian missions in Gaza have become "unnecessarily impossible," including the ongoing siege, challenges posed by Israeli authorities, political decisions to restrict the amounts of aid, lack of safety on aid routes and the targeting of local police.
Lazzarini held the Israeli occupation responsible for the protection of aid workers and provisions, saying it must "ensure aid flows into Gaza safely & must refrain from attacks on humanitarian workers."
Deliberate attacks on aid workers continue
Since October 2023, Israeli forces have carried out at least eight attacks on aid workers’ convoys and facilities in Gaza, despite aid organizations sharing their coordinates with Israeli authorities for protection, according to a report by Human Rights Watch released on May 14.
These strikes have killed or injured at least 31 aid workers and others, with over 250 aid workers reported killed in Gaza since October 7, according to the UN.
On Saturday, Israeli forces targeted a World Central Kitchen (WCK) vehicle in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, killing at least five people, including three WCK workers.
The three WCK workers were identified as Azeem Jalal Abu Daqqa, Ahed Azmi Qudeih, and Mohammed Adel Al-Namla.
This attack is not an isolated incident, with a previous strike in April resulting in the deaths of seven workers.
As a result, the WCK announced on Saturday the suspension of its relief activities in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike claimed the lives of three of its staff members.
In an initial statement, WCK expressed profound sorrow over the incident, "We are heartbroken to share that a vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen colleagues was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza."
The organization rejected claims made by the Israeli military, which alleged a connection between one of the individuals in the targeted vehicle and October 7's Operation al-Aqsa Flood, attack. WCK stated it did not know about any such link involving its employees.
