Region | Palestinian Territories

Gaza truce unravels amid aid blockade

UN food distribution to half of Gaza's 1.5 million population ground to a halt on Friday as Israel maintained a total lockdown of the impoverished Palestinian territory amid continuing violence.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 23:21 November 14, 2008
  • Gulf News

Gaza City: UN food distribution to half of Gaza's 1.5 million population ground to a halt on Friday as Israel maintained a total lockdown of the impoverished Palestinian territory amid continuing violence.

"We have no food," said Chris Gunness, a spokes-man for the UN Works and Relief Agency (UNWRA) which usually distributes emergency rations to about 750,000 people in the Gaza Strip, an overcrowed sliver of land crippled by a blockade Israel says aims at making fighters stop their attacks.

UNWRA says it was forced to stop the distribution as it has received no supplies since Israel tightened the blockade on November 5. "Our warehouses are empty," said Gunness.

The blockade continued despite an urgent plea from the European Union to Israel to reopen its border crossings with Gaza.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said she was worried about the impact on Gaza Palestinians because "fuel and basic humanitarian assistance" cannot enter their area.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza escalated as Israeli aircraft fired missiles at Palestinian fighters in the northern Gaza Strip and Hamas unleashed a barrage of rockets - at least four longer-range Katyushas - at the nearby Israeli town of Sderot on Friday.

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