The U.N. criticized Israel for hindering the delivery of "vital aid" to Gaza, highlighting that authorities had prevented more than half of the humanitarian supplies from reaching the blockaded Palestinian enclave just a day earlier.
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference Friday that, "Israeli authorities continue to deny U.N.-led efforts to reach Gaza governorate with vital aid."
"This includes our most recent attempt today across the Gaza Strip yesterday. Only 10 out of the 21 U.N.-planned humanitarian movements were facilitated by Israeli authorities," he said, adding that "seven were denied outright, three were impeded, and one was canceled due to security and logistical challenges."
He also conveyed OCHA's deep concern over the impact of "dwindling fuel supplies on essential services in Gaza."
"Palestinian telecommunication providers are now warning that their services may start to shut down tomorrow due to fuel shortages, which they need to run the generators for the set for their equipment," he added.
Dujarric further reported a "violent picture in the first week of this year" in the occupied West Bank.
"Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, including a child, and injured 38 others across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem," he said.
Noting that illegal Israeli settlers injured at least 18 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including nine in Ramallah Governorate, Dujarric said, "More than 50 Palestinians in the West Bank were displaced by home demolitions" during the first week of 2025.
The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 46,000 people, most of them women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
