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UN says humanitarian access in Gaza shrinking; urges restraint after strikes along Israel-Lebanon blue line
Summary
The United Nations reported denied humanitarian movements, growing access constraints in Gaza and fresh hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon blue line, urging all parties to protect civilians and allow safe humanitarian corridors.
The United Nations warned Friday that humanitarian space in Gaza is shrinking amid intensified hostilities and logistical barriers, and the UN also urged restraint after rockets fired from southern Lebanon and Israeli airstrikes, including strikes in the Beirut area.
UN humanitarian reporting said displacement orders and “no-go” zones declared by Israeli authorities now account for roughly 52% of Gaza’s territory, restricting movement and humanitarian operations. The spokesperson said thousands of pallets of humanitarian supplies — mostly food — are waiting at the Kerem Shalom crossing and that UN teams have been denied routine attempts to reach crossings and coordinate movements; the UN reported six coordination attempts that day, four of which were denied.
On ground operations, UN partners reported that temporary dumping sites in Gaza are full and people are disposing of waste in inhabited areas, raising public-health concerns. The UN said partners continue efforts to reach displaced families with water, shelter, food parcels, hygiene kits and other essential items, and highlighted a growing mental-health toll among those affected.
The UN described an operation in southern Gaza near Rafah where authorities announced a three-hour window for civilians to leave an area, and reiterated that civilians must be protected under international law and allowed to flee and return voluntarily when safe.
Separately, the UN expressed serious concern about an escalation along the Israel-Lebanon blue line after Unifil reported three rockets fired from southern Lebanon toward Israel and Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut — the first such strikes in Beirut since the cessation of hostilities took effect. The UN’s special coordinator for Lebanon, Janine Hennis-Plasschaert, and UN peacekeepers were reported to be in contact with relevant actors to deescalate the situation and prevent further incidents.
The spokesperson said that since the cessation of hostilities took effect, nearly a million people have returned to parts of southern Lebanon, though more than 93,000 remain displaced. The UN reiterated calls for all parties to uphold obligations under international law and to implement Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1701 where relevant, and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure on both sides of the blue line.
