UN resumes nighttime aid operations after catastrophic deaths of World Central Kitchen workers
UN resumes Gaza aid ops post-WCK deaths. Dujarric reports dire hospital conditions, ongoing conflict, potential UN-US aid coordination, and refrains from Knesset vote comment.
The United Nations will resume its nighttime aid operations in Gaza on Thursday after pausing them for 48 hours following the Monday night strikes that killed seven humanitarian workers from World Central Kitchen.
"We had to pause and regroup and reassess all sorts of factors. There is, I'm told, the convoy heading out tonight, which will hopefully make it to the north," UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.
According to Dujarric, the World Health Organization reached two hospitals in Gaza City on Thursday. WHO teams have spoken to patients at al Shifa hospital but have not yet been able to travel there. Patients described dire conditions during the IDF's operation at al Shifa with no food, water or medicine available, according to the WHO.
In terms of Secretary General Atononio Gueterres' assessment of the UN Security Council ceasefire resolution passed 10 days ago, Dujarric said "it's not going in the right direction."
"The fighting in Gaza is continuing, the Israeli operations are continuing, the hostages continue to be detained," Dujarric said.
UN involvement in Gaza aid
Dujarric also commented on reports about UN agency involvement with the distributing aid in coordination with the US military who will be constructing a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza.
While he didn't confirm UN involvement, he said any decision regarding UN participation in the maritime corridor needs to be "fully agreed on with the humanitarian agencies operating in Gaza" under conditions that would meet the conditions of "principled, safe, sustained and impartial humanitarian distribution."
For weeks now the US has said it's working to firm up its partnership with groups in the region who will be able to handle the aid distribution logistics on the ground in Gaza. The US has maintained it will have absolutely no boots on the ground in Gaza.
Dujarric declined to comment on Thursday's vote in the Knesset where members voted to unilaterally oppose the declaration of a Palestinian state.
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