A senior United Nations (UN) official accused Israel on Sunday of continuing to deny the entity humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, where the director of the UN food program warned that a “total famine” has gripped the north of the enclave. of 2.3 million people.
While not a formal declaration of famine, World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain said — in an interview with NBC News aired Sunday — that based on the “horror” happening there: “There is famine, total famine in the north, and it is moving towards the south.”
The Israeli government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on McCain’s remarks.
The head of the UN Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, accused Israel on Sunday of continuing to deny United Nations aid access to Gaza.
“In the last two weeks alone, we have recorded 10 incidents involving shooting at convoys, arrests of UN staff, including situations where they were intimidated, stripped naked, threatened with weapons and long delays at checkpoints, forcing convoys to travel overnight or abort,” Lazzarini posted on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Israeli government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Lazzarini’s remarks.
Lazzarini also called on “Hamas and other armed groups to stop any attacks on humanitarian crossings, prevent the diversion of aid and ensure that assistance reaches all those in need.”
Hamas militants claimed responsibility this Sunday for an attack that closed the main humanitarian aid crossing into Gaza.
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