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UN: Gaza crossings need opening – ‘much more needs to be done’
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says that while some aid has been getting into Gaza during the ceasefire, much more is needed. Deputy spokesman Farhan Haq noted that only the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and al-Karara (Kissufim) crossings are currently operating.
“We need to have more crossing points open. We need to get more aid in,” he told reporters during a briefing at United Nations headquarters in New York City. “So yes, the cooperation [with Israel] has improved in recent days since the ceasefire, but much more needs to be done.”
The UN wants the Beit Hanoon (Erez) crossing in northern Gaza and the Rafah crossing in the south, linking Gaza to Egypt, to immediately be reopened, Haq added.
Hamas says Israel ‘dragging its feet’ on humanitarian aid to Gaza
Hamas has reiterated its support for seeing the ceasefire agreement through, but says Israel is trying to “evade its obligations”.
The humanitarian relief that Israel has allowed into the besieged enclave so far is a “drop in the ocean”, Hamas official Ismail Radwan told Al Jazeera.
“The occupation is dragging its feet and has not fully complied with the humanitarian part of the agreement. There are more than 10,000 people missing under the rubble, and Civil Defence workers need heavy equipment to retrieve them,” Radwan said.
“The occupation caused the deaths of its prisoners, and now it is delaying providing us with heavy equipment to extract them – and then it blames us.”
Radwan called on mediators of the ceasefire to pressure Israel to follow the terms of the agreement. “Washington realises the occupation is responsible for delaying the remaining stages of the agreement,” he said.
