UN Team Reached Northern Gaza for 1st in 4 Weeks

A United Nations team has successfully accessed the northern region of the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip for the first time in approximately one month, as reported by a UN official on Tuesday.

According to spokesman Stephane Dujarric, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed that its team managed to reach northern Gaza after a four-week hiatus.

Dujarric noted that OCHA was conducting an inter-agency assessment mission in Gaza City.

"However, their access to the north was delayed for over five hours at the Israeli checkpoint on the Coastal Road," he stated.

"OCHA has expressed concerns that access to the northern area remains severely restricted for UN aid workers and other organizations."

'Unacceptable risks to our staff's safety'

In the first half of September, nearly 50 missions organized by seven different UN agencies saw only a quarter successfully navigate the Israeli checkpoints into the northern region along Wadi Gaza.

"Even when these missions were permitted to cross, they frequently encountered significant obstacles, with some convoys being halted at gunpoint, fired upon, or made to wait for extended periods in a conflict zone," Dujarric explained.

"Such incidents present unacceptable risks to the safety of our personnel and hinder the completion of their critical life-saving operations."

Despite a UN Security Council resolution advocating for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has persisted in its aggressive military actions in the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7.