Resumption of hostilities in Gaza – Highlights of the noon briefing by Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General (excerpts)

FRIDAY, 1 DECEMBER 2023

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GAZA
In a tweet issued this morning, the Secretary-General said he regretted the resumption of hostilities in Gaza and Israel. He urges all concerned parties to swiftly find a way to resume the pause in the fighting and facilitate the release of more hostages.
We appeal to the parties not to resort to further military action that can only make the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza worse and to spare civilians from more suffering.
The Secretary-General reaffirms his call for a true humanitarian ceasefire.
Just wanted to give you a bit more granularity on what we have been able to achieve and what our colleagues on the ground have been able to achieve since the the start of the pause.
The humanitarian pause, which lasted for seven days, had allowed us a major increase in the delivery of basic supplies into and across Gaza, primarily through the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies and, of course, with the support of UN agencies. However, as the Secretary-General told Security Council members this week, the level of aid remained completely inadequate to meet the growing needs.
Between 24 and 29 November, 630 metric tonnes of flour were distributed to about 224,000 people in the south. We also distributed 63,000 blankets and mattresses.
Cooking gas had been entering daily from Egypt during this period and has been available, or at least had been available, at one distribution centre in the south, in not enough quantities unfortunately to meet the demand.
Since the start of the pause until the 29th [November], approximately 4,850 metric tonnes of food, primarily rice, flour, and canned food; 1,700 metric tonnes of other supplies; as well as 1,110 metric tonnes of bottled water; also 148 metric tonnes of medical supplies and 29,500 litres of fuel were delivered to UNRWA shelters, hospitals and warehouses in northern Gaza.
Any continuation in the uptick the delivery of basic supplies into and across Gaza is now, of course, uncertain because of the resumed hostilities, which obviously makes the distribution of humanitarian goods that much more difficult, not only for the humanitarian workers but also for those for whom the aid is intended.
We must have at least the same volume of fuel and other humanitarian goods enter Gaza that was entering during the pause.

UNRWA
On behalf of UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the Spokesman flagged a post by an Israeli journalist on Twitter [X], claiming a connection between an Israeli hostage and an UNRWA schoolteacher in Gaza. He said no more information is available at this time, besides what was posted.
UNRWA takes these allegations extremely, extremely, seriously. UNRWA is determined to find out whether this information is genuine or not. They are in contact with the author of the post or the allegation and whoever else may be in a position to assist UNRWA in determining the facts of this case.

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