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Senior UN officials have issued an ultimatum to Israel, threatening to suspend all aid operations in Gaza unless immediate action is taken to improve the safety of humanitarian workers, two sources told AP on Tuesday.
In a letter sent to Israeli authorities this month, the world body urged Israel to establish direct communication between its forces in Gaza and UN personnel, among other measures, the UN sources said.
The officials, who are engaged in negotiations with Israeli representatives, said no definitive decision has been made on the suspension of UN operations across Gaza.
Discussions with Israeli authorities are continuing, they said.
The warning marks a significant escalation in the UN's demands for Israel to improve protection for aid work frequently affected by military strikes and to address the increasing lawlessness that is blocking humanitarian efforts in the region.
The UN has repeatedly called on Israel to enact more stringent measures to secure the operations and safety of aid personnel amid the conflict.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed to reporters that a letter had been sent on June 17 addressed from the world body’s humanitarian co-ordinator, Muhannad Hadi, to Israel's Co-ordination of Government Activities in the Territories.
He said there had been further contact on Monday between Cogat and the UN’s undersecretary general for safety and security, Gilles Michaud.
Mr Dujarric said the UN has frequently reported incidents involving humanitarian convoys being fired on.
He said that last Friday, the UN discussed attacks on previously deconflicted areas, including hospitals and shelters.
Mr Dujarric described the risks for aid workers as “increasingly intolerable” but said the world body “will not turn its back on the people of Gaza”.
