NEW YORK CITY: The UN’s top humanitarian official on Wednesday called on Israel to open more border crossings into Gaza to increase the flow of humanitarian aid. Facilitating access for civilians is a “legal obligation,” not a matter of political negotiation, he added.
The appeal by Tom Fletcher, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, came amid ongoing efforts to implement a fragile US-led peace deal in Gaza that was agreed this week in Sharm El-Sheikh with the backing of world leaders.
“This is a moment of great but precarious hope,” Fletcher said from Cairo. “We must not fail to see through in full the implementation of the agreements made.”
While initial shipments of food, medicines, fuel and shelter materials have begun to reach civilians in Gaza following months of restrictions on aid deliveries, Fletcher warned that further setbacks risk slowing the momentum.
“We need more crossings open and a genuine, practical, problem-solving approach to removing remaining obstacles,” he said.
“Throughout this crisis, we have insisted that withholding aid from civilians is not a bargaining chip; facilitation of aid is a legal obligation.”
Fletcher, who has remained in the region to coordinate a 60-day humanitarian “surge,” said thousands of aid trucks must be allowed into Gaza each week, and the international community is united behind this mission.
He stressed that the aid must reach civilians and not be diverted to armed groups. He also called on Hamas to intensify its efforts to return the remaining bodies of deceased hostages, and expressed concern over reports of violence by the group against civilians in Gaza.
The agreements signed in Sharm El-Sheikh this week marked the most significant diplomatic breakthrough in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent years, Fletcher said, but he cautioned that without swift and credible action, the hard-won progress could unravel.
“The test of these agreements is that families are safe and reunited, children fed, sheltered and back in school, and that Palestinians and Israelis can look forward with greater security, justice and opportunity,” he added.
“The world has failed so many times before — we must not fail this time.”
