New York, Feb.11 (SANA) The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it has received additional reports of Israeli airstrikes and ground and naval shelling targeting Gaza City, warning that civilians are being placed at grave risk and that their suffering has intensified after 28 months of ongoing conflict.
In a statement issued Tuesday and cited by the UN News Centre, OCHA stressed that civilians must be protected under international humanitarian law wherever they are, and that civilian infrastructure must be safeguarded at all times during military operations, with constant precautions taken to spare civilians.
UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has reopened the Al-Bureij Health Centre in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, resuming essential health services after months of closure.
However, he warned that thousands of patients remain unable to access treatment and recovery services due to the continued absence of key medical services across the Gaza Strip.
Dujarric underlined that the top priority is to scale up local health services, including rehabilitating facilities damaged by Israeli bombardment and expanding critical care capacity. This requires increased medical supplies, including equipment that faces difficulties in obtaining approval from Israeli authorities, such as X-ray machines and laboratory equipment.
OCHA emphasized that the United Nations and its partners stand ready to expand humanitarian operations, but this requires more sustainable solutions and the lifting of all restrictions. It stressed that all humanitarian actors must be allowed to operate without hindrance and that essential supplies and equipment must be permitted to enter.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has killed and injured more than 243,700 Palestinians, caused widespread destruction and led to the collapse of basic services.
Despite orders by the International Court of Justice and numerous UN resolutions calling for a halt to the war and the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid, Israel continues its military campaign and blockade of the enclave, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
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