Attacks on humanitarian missions, return of Palestinians and aid organizations in Khan Younis – Highlights of the noon briefing by Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General – 30 August 2024

30 August 2024

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Occupied Palestinian Territory 

Turning to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs tell us that attacks on humanitarian personnel, missions and humanitarian facilities are further limiting the delivery of life-saving aid in Gaza.

The most recent attacks on the UN include the one that you are well aware of, of the World Food Programme, that took place earlier this week.

OCHA warns that these incidents not only endanger the lives of aid workers – with this ongoing crisis being the deadliest on record for the UN – but also limit the capacity for us to help the more than 2 million people who are engaged in a daily struggle for their survival.

OCHA says that, today, the Israeli military announced that they would allow the return of Palestinians and aid organizations into areas of Khan Younis previously subjected to evacuation orders.

This follows a similar notice issued yesterday for areas of Deir al Balah, which we told you about.

Combined, these are the first such notices made since the beginning of the war.

More than 85 per cent of the Gaza Strip’s territory remains impacted by 40 evacuation orders issued since last October and those have not yet been reversed.

And on a more positive note, with the latest announcement that return would be allowed, multiple aid organizations, which have had to relocate and abandon their premises are now preparing to return, particularly to the evacuated humanitarian hub in Deir al Balah.

Meanwhile, OCHA says that in August, the number of humanitarian missions and movements within Gaza that have been denied access by Israeli authorities has almost doubled, compared to July.

Between the1st and 29th of this month, out of the 199 planned humanitarian missions coordinated with the Israeli authorities for northern Gaza, only 74 were facilitated. The rest were either denied, impeded, or cancelled due to logistical, operational, or security issues. In southern Gaza, out of 372 coordinated humanitarian movements, 173 were facilitated.

And from the West Bank, OCHA warns that the continuation of Israeli operations in certain areas that use lethal military tactics seemingly exceed law enforcement standards.

Today, such operations continued mostly in the Jenin governorate, according to what OCHA has been told.

OCHA has now mobilized a group of humanitarian partners from the UN and beyond to visit some of the affected areas over the weekend to assess the damage and of course to assess the needs and we can help. This will be done in close coordination with UNRWA. Together, they stand ready to provide a response based on what people need.