News - Middle East: The United Nations has called on the Israeli regime to open the blockade on the Gaza Strip and allow humanitarian aid to reach the hapless Palestinians in the north, highlighting their "massive needs."

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference that "access to North Gaza governorate is still extremely limited. Over the weekend, the UN was unable to access the area".

Dujarric underscored grave concerns about the "fate of Palestinians remaining in North Gaza", reiterating that the UN "urgently calls on Israel to open up the area to humanitarian operations at the scale needed, given the massive needs."

The Israeli regime has cut ties with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), rejecting most of the efforts by the UN to coordinate aid convoys.

Tel Aviv is not allowing humanitarian aid into northern Gaza, Dujarric said.

Only 15 aid convoys out of the 98 requests submitted by the UN to the Israelis were allowed to pass along the Gaza Valley, Dujarric pointed out citing a report by the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs Coordination (OCHA).

Dujarric relayed OCHA's "concern about the fate of the remaining Palestinians in northern Gaza as the blockade continued and urged Israel to open the area to humanitarian operations as far as necessary given the enormous need."

"Over the past three days, teams from OCHA, the UN human rights agency, mine disposal, and other humanitarian groups have visited nine locations in Gaza City to assess the needs of hundreds of displaced families, many of whom are returning to northern Gaza."

In a new report published on Monday, OCHA said humanitarian organizations submitted 50 requests to Israeli authorities to enter northern Gaza in October, 33 of which were rejected and eight were accepted but faced obstacles, including delays, which prevented them from completing their duties, according to the spokesman.

Official Israeli figures show despite a US ultimatum last month threatening sanctions against Tel Aviv if there was no increase in humanitarian aid reaching Palestinians, aid to Gaza has dropped.

In an apparent last-minute decision on Monday, the Israeli regime announced an extension of the designated “humanitarian zone”, adding inland areas which could partially relieve intense overcrowding and allow some displaced people to move away from the coast as winter approaches.

Meanwhile, Gaza's situation on the ground has been described by UN experts as “apocalyptic.”

Since the Israeli war machine unleashed its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, more than 80 percent of 2.3 million population of the land has been displaced and more than two-thirds of its buildings have been destroyed or damaged.

“Almost nothing is getting in anymore. The small street markets that sprung up have all gone. There’s a bit of flour, some washing-up liquid … a kilo of tomatoes costs nearly $20 (USD). Even if you have money there is nothing to buy. Everyone is going hungry again,” said one UN official.

The worst areas are in the northern Gaza Strip, where the towns of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya have been under a month-long intensified siege by Israeli forces. The regime forces have surrounded the area with checkpoints, ordering the Palestinian residents to evacuate.

“People in north Gaza have got nothing. Every single day from October 3 to end of month, UN asked to take stuff into Jabaliya, but [was] turned down,” said one UN official in Gaza.

Last week, a committee of global food security experts known as the IPC warned of a “strong likelihood that famine is imminent in areas” of northern Gaza.

Approximately, 44,000 Gazans have died since the Israeli regime began its brutal onslaught of Gazans, mostly women and children.

Source: Press TV