UN agencies must operate unhindered in Gaza

Photo: Eyad Baba Agence France-Presse They consider it “essential that the distribution networks of UNRWA and other United Nations organizations and agencies are fully able to deliver aid to those who need it most, in order to fulfill their mandate effectively” .

France Media Agency in Bari, Italy

Published at 12:18 p.m.

• Middle East

UN agencies, including UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Editor's note), must operate without hindrance in the Gaza Strip, the source of a serious crisis humanitarian, G7 summit leaders said Friday in a draft final declaration.

“We urge all parties to facilitate rapid and unhindered passage of the “humanitarian aid intended for civilians in need, particularly women and children, by all possible land and sea routes”, underlined the heads of state and government of the G7 in this text consulted by AFP.

They consider it “essential that the delivery networks of UNRWA and other UN organizations and agencies are fully capable of delivering aid to those who need it most, in order to fulfill their mandate effectively.” .

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UNRWA, which coordinates almost all aid to Gaza, found itself at the heart of a diplomatic storm and on the verge of collapse after Israel in January accused a dozen of its 13,000 Gaza employees of involvement in the deadly attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas that sparked the ongoing war on October 7.

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This led many countries, including the United States, the main donor, to abruptly suspend funding to the agency, threatening its efforts to deliver aid to Gaza, although that several states have since resumed their payments.

US President Joe Biden and his “Group of 7” allies (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom , Canada, Japan) deplore the “unacceptable number” of civilians killed “on both sides” since October 7.

In this regard, they say they are “deeply concerned about the consequences on the civilian population of the ongoing ground operations in Rafah”, where the Israeli army launched on May 7 its ground offensive essential, according to it, to eliminate Hamas.

They call on Israel to “refrain” from launching a large-scale operation on this Egyptian border town.

< p>The G7 also reiterates its “full support” for the ceasefire plan put on the table on May 31 by Joe Biden, Israel's main ally, which should allow the release of all Israeli hostages detained in Gaza and “a significant increase in the flow of humanitarian aid.”

He renews his “call on Hamas to accept and implement fully and unambiguously” this plan which until then remained a dead letter, the Israeli government and Hamas sticking to their positions.

The war was sparked on October 7 by the attack launched by Hamas from Gaza in southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count compiled from official Israeli data.

Of 251 people kidnapped, 116 are still held hostage in Gaza, of whom 41 are dead, according to the army.

In response, the Israeli army launched a large-scale offensive in Gaza that left 37,266 dead, mostly civilians, according to data from the Ministry of Health of the Gaza government led by the Hamas.