UN declares Gaza Strip most dangerous place for aid delivery

Fletcher has urged governments to “break the cycle of violence” and “defend humanitarian law” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The UN official made the comments after visiting Jordan, Syria and Lebanon to meet aid teams, including those working in the occupied Palestinian territory.

He condemned the “sustained intensity” of Israel’s violence in Gaza, saying that there is nowhere safe for civilians in the Strip, with schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure reduced to rubble.

“We deal with tough places to deliver humanitarian support. But Gaza is currently the most dangerous, in a year when more humanitarians have been killed than any on record,” Fletcher added.

“As a result, despite the massive humanitarian needs, it has become almost impossible to deliver even a fraction of the aid that is so urgently required. The Israeli authorities continue to deny us meaningful access – over 100 requests to access North Gaza were denied since 6 October. We are also now seeing the breakdown of law and order and the systematic armed looting of our supplies by local gangs.”

Israel has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 45,300 people, most of them women and children, since an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamim Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.