Israel has given the UN the approval to begin delivering humanitarian aid into Gaza starting on Sunday, the military body in charge of assistance in the enclave confirmed to The National on Friday.
The confirmation comes after the ceasefire officially went into effect, and as the UN prepares to scale up operations in the enclave, where more than two million people are in urgent need of food, water and medical supplies after two years of conflict.
The aid shipments will include 170,000 metric tonnes that have already been positioned in neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Friday that fuel, medical supplies and other critical materials have started flowing through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
UN officials want Israel to open more border crossings and provide safe movement for aid workers and civilians who are returning to parts of Gaza that were under heavy fire until only recently.
Mr Dujarric said officials had been holding meetings with Israeli authorities “to get some clarity on what we’ll be able to bring in the volume, the number of access points, all of the things that are included in phase one of the agreement”.
He said the amount of assistance entering the enclave had gradually increased in recent weeks.
“What we’re working on now with the Israeli authorities is to increase the volume of aid that will go in, increase the pace ... hopefully have more crossings,” Mr Dujarric said.
