At the United Nations headquarters in New York and offices of the world body across the globe, flags were lowered to half-staff to honor 101 employees and support staff at the U.N. agency that assists Palestine refugees, the UNRWA, who have been killed in Gaza.
Quick Read
- United Nations Honors Fallen Employees: Flags at U.N. headquarters worldwide were lowered to half-staff in memory of 101 employees of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) killed in Gaza, with a minute of silence observed led by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
- UNRWA’s Fuel Crisis in Gaza: Thomas White, the UNRWA director in Gaza, warned that all U.N. aid operations in the enclave would stop within 48 hours without fuel entry. Despite the influx of medical and food supplies via Egypt’s Rafah crossing, Israel’s blockade on fuel, citing concerns over Hamas misuse, has persisted.
- Red Cross Describes Dire Gaza Situation: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reported severe challenges in rescue efforts in Gaza due to limited access and lack of essential equipment, stating that rescuers are trying to save people buried under rubble manually. The situation is critical, and aid is not meeting the immense need in the region.
The Associated Press has the story:
UNRWA lowers flags to honor 101 staff killed in Gaza, halts operations until fuel is allowed in
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP)
At the United Nations headquarters in New York and offices of the world body across the globe, flags were lowered to half-staff to honor 101 employees and support staff at the U.N. agency that assists Palestine refugees, the UNRWA, who have been killed in Gaza.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other senior officials observed a minute of silence.
UN PALESTINIAN REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS IT WILL HALT OPERATIONS IN GAZA UNLESS FUEL IS ALLOWED IN
CAIRO — The director of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says all of the group’s aid operations in Gaza will cease in the next 48 hours unless fuel is allowed into the besieged enclave.
Thomas White, director of UNRWA in Gaza, made the comment on X, formerly known as Twitter.
While truckloads of medical and food supplies have been trickling into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, Israel has prohibited fuel from entering. It fears the fuel would be taken by Hamas and have accused the militant group of secretly stockpiling it.
UNRWA earlier said it had scaled back operations due to a lack of fuel.
GAZA SITUATION IS ‘DESPERATE’ AS HOSPITALS AND RESCUERS RUN OUT OF SUPPLIES, GROUP SAYS
GENEVA — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says a race to find survivors under the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza has been thwarted by insufficient access for rescuers, as Israel’s military campaign in the enclave continues.
Tommaso Della Longa, spokesman for the Geneva-based humanitarian agency, says the situation in Gaza remains “desperate.” The Al-Quds hospital operated by the Palestinian Red Crescent Societies “was simply closed” on Sunday, he said.
While access to bombed-out areas is difficult, even the paramedics who are able to get through have no access to heavy machinery like bulldozers that could help clear ground to access any possible survivors under the rubble.
© UNRWA/ UNRWA flag-lowering ceremony at the UNRWA Lebanon Field Office in Beirut.
“Our colleagues are literally trying to save people from the rubble with their hands,” Della Longa told the Associated Press.
Israel has allowed scores of aid trucks — carrying food, water and medical supplies but no fuel — to enter Gaza as the military campaign goes on. United Nations and other officials say that’s a trickle compared to the hundreds of trucks that entered Gaza daily before the conflict.
Della Longa applauded efforts to bring a humanitarian pause or more aid into Gaza, but “we know that is complicated” — and time is of the essence.
“The problem we have,” he said, “is that the people in Gaza don’t have time.”
