Israel has authorised only a 'teaspoon' of aid into Gaza, says UN chief

UN has enough aid to fill nearly 9,000 lorries but can't get it into Palestinian enclave

Destroyed buildings in the northern part of the besieged Gaza Strip on May 22. AFP

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The amount of aid Israel has authorised to go into Gaza amounts to “a teaspoon”, when a flood of humanitarian assistance is needed, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Friday as he reiterated the risk of widespread famine.

Israel blocked food deliveries as it resumed major military operations in Gaza in early March, ending a two-month ceasefire. The UN chief said 80 per cent of Gaza has been declared either an Israeli militarised zone or an evacuation area, making it a “no-go zone” for civilians.

“For nearly 80 days, Israel blocked the entry of life-saving international aid,” he said. “The entire population of Gaza is facing the risk of famine.”

Mr Guterres called on Israel, as the occupying power, to remove “staggering” obstacles to aid delivery. He said of the nearly 400 lorries cleared for entry to Gaza at the Kerem Shalom crossing, only 115 lorries have been offloaded.

“All the aid authorised until now amounts to a teaspoon of aid,” he noted.

Mr Guterres called on Israel, as the occupying power, to remove “staggering” obstacles to aid delivery as almost 400 lorries were cleared for entry to Gaza through the Karam Abu Salem crossing but supplies from only 115 lorries have been able to be collected.

“All the aid authorised until now amounts to a teaspoon of aid,” he noted.

Israel has allowed aid deliveries by the UN and other aid groups to briefly resume until a new US-backed distribution model – run by a new private group called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – is operational by the end of the month.

COGAT, the Israeli Defence Ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, said that 107 humanitarian aid lorries entered Gaza on Thursday.

But Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said Friday that the UN had brought in 500 to 600 per day on average during a six-week ceasefire that broke down in March.

“No one should be surprised let alone shocked at scenes of precious aid looted, stolen or 'lost',” Mr Lazzarini said on social media.

Mr Guterres reiterated the UN's refusal to participate in any aid mechanism violates international law, stressing the principles of “humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality”.

He said the UN and its partners have laid out a five-stage aid plan backed by member states to scale up humanitarian deliveries to Gaza.

“We have the personnel, the distribution networks, the systems and community relationships in place to act,” he said, noting that the UN had enough supplies to fill nearly 9,000 lorries.

Gaza's health ministry said at least 3,509 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war's overall death toll to more than 53,700 people, most of them civilians.