Stéphane Dujarric responded to a journalist’s question following the White House announcement that Israel has agreed to halt military operations in northern Gaza to allow for four-hour daily humanitarian breaks.
Parties must agree
“How such a cessation of fighting would work, and how it would work for humanitarian purposes, will need to be coordinated with the United Nations, especially when it comes to timing and location,” he said.
“And in order to do this safely for humanitarian purposes, there obviously needs to be agreement with all parties to the conflict to be truly effective.”
Escape from North Gaza
Meanwhile, humanitarians report that people in northern Gaza continue to flee south, mostly on foot, amid heavy hostilities, with around 50,000 people evacuated on Wednesday.
Clashes and shelling on and around the road reportedly continued, endangering evacuees as they moved south, and there were reports of bodies being spotted on the road.
Hundreds of thousands of people left in the north face a dire humanitarian situation as they struggle to find even minimal amounts of water and food to survive.
Help trickles in
Mr Dujarric also provided an update on efforts to get more aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, the only entry point into the besieged enclave.
He said 106 trucks carrying mainly food, medicine, health care supplies, bottled water and hygiene products arrived in Gaza on Wednesday.
Aid deliveries began on October 21 and so far 756 trucks have made the journey, which “represents only a fraction of what is needed and still no fuel coming in.”
One consequence was that Gaza City’s Al Quds Hospital had to close key services on Wednesday, while northern Gaza’s only maternity care provider – Al Awda Hospital – has warned of an impending closure.
Wednesday also saw the second delivery of much-needed medical supplies and medicines to Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital since the conflict broke out on October 7. The items were provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
“Our WHO colleagues say that the quantities delivered, while welcome, are far from sufficient to meet immediate needs,” he said.
Honoring fallen colleagues
Mr Dujarric also announced that the UN flag will fly at half-mast on Monday to pay tribute to the 99 UNRWA colleagues who have lost their lives during the bombing and fighting so far.
Many of these workers – including teachers, school principals, doctors, engineers, security guards and support staff – were murdered along with their family members.
UN offices around the world are also being asked to lower their flags and observe a minute’s silence in their honor.