Senior U.N. officials have warned Israel that aid operations conducted by the world body's aid organizations will be suspended unless Israel works to better protect humanitarian aid workers.
The world body has demanded that Israel do more to protect aid workers in Gaza, both from IDF strikes as well as attacks by gunmen in the Gaza Strip.
The U.N. sent a letter to Israeli officials earlier this month demanding that Israel provide a way for its workers to have direct contact with IDF forces working on the ground in Gaza in order to prevent accidental strikes on U.N. workers.
U.N. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity told PBS there has been no final decision on suspending operations in Gaza and that the body is in continued talks with Israeli officials.
On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that the U.S. is trying to broker an agreement between the U.N. and the IDF to guarantee the safety of aid workers.
Asked about a meeting between the sides, Miller responded, "I can't speak about a meeting, but I can tell you it's an issue we've been intently focused on. Our special envoy for Middle Eastern humanitarian issues, Lisa Grande has been working with the U.N. and various government entities to try to figure out a way to allow U.N. workers to safely do their jobs and deliver humanitarian assistance."
The IDF and the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) have repeatedly accused the U.N. and other aid NGOs of not adequately distributing the humanitarian assistance that is inspected and brought across the border into Gaza. Israel has also implemented steps such as operational pauses to aid the distribution of aid within the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, despite the recent publication of a U.N.-affiliated ICP report showing that food deliveries into Gaza have been sufficient for the population, the U.N. continues to warn of a famine in the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, the World Food Programme posted to X claiming that 96% of Gaza faces "extreme levels of hunger."
COGAT responded to the tweet with a picture of humanitarian aid piled up on the Gaza side of the border which has not been distributed.
"UM… what's your excuse here, WFP?" the Israeli body asked. COGAT also repudiated U.N. claims of "looting or security concerns," saying it is "only a lack of motivation."
The WFP already halted aid deliveries from the U.S.-built Gaza pier, citing security concerns. The IDF claims that around 70% of aid from the pier was seized by Hamas.
State Department spokesman Miller appeared to contest this when addressing the reporters.
"We've seen over the past few weeks a big backlog of humanitarian assistance to Karem Shalom that hasn't been able to move because of a breakdown in security on the ground," Miller stated. "This isn't a breakdown in security where trucks are being shot at by Hamas or the IDF, it's just random looting and criminal gangs and criminal actors who have been attacking trucks."
"We've been working with the U.N. and Israel to try and find the solution to that problem," Miller explained.
Tuesday evening, the IDF and COGAT released a video of an attack reportedly by Hamas on a UNICEF aid convoy meant to reunite children with their families, indicating that Hamas, and not just "criminal gangs" were still targeting aid groups.
Republished with permission from All Israel News.