UNITED NATIONS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Airstrikes, naval fire, shelling and shootings hit Gaza residential areas over the weekend while fuel shortages affected services, UN humanitarians said on Monday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said safety and security partners reported that such incidents occurred over the weekend across all governorates, primarily west of the so-called "Yellow Line."
The United Nations is concerned about these reports with great concern that civilians are among those killed, the office said.
Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem remains the only crossing currently available for aid to enter Gaza. The Israeli checkpoint set up in early June in southern Gaza is no longer causing major delays for convoys reaching the crossing, said OCHA.
Over the weekend and into Monday morning, the United Nations has collected multiple shipments from the crossing, including food, blankets, education supplies, recreation items for children, hygiene kits and fuel, it said.
Partners continue to call for additional crossing points and for restrictions to be lifted on items that are difficult to get approval for, said OCHA.
Fuel, however, remains in limited supply. There is no value added tax exemption in Israel, so humanitarian partners largely rely on a single Egyptian provider, which is not always able to meet the quantities required. In addition, Israeli authorities allow fuel imports, whether from Egypt or Israel, only during the limited opening hours of Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem, said OCHA.
"As a result, in the second week of June, humanitarian partners inside Gaza were forced to prioritize fuel allocations to life-saving services and suspend them for less critical ones," it said. "When fuel is available, generators often lack the lubricant oil needed to operate, and obtaining Israeli approval for it is also difficult."
In the West Bank, the office said violence remains at concerning levels.
OCHA said that Israeli forces on Sunday shot and killed a boy and a man, allegedly in a group burning tires and throwing Molotov cocktails toward a settlement in Hebron Area.
The office said that in law enforcement contexts across the West Bank, lethal force may only be used as a last resort and those perpetrating unlawful attacks must be held to account.
OCHA also warned of constraints that continue to impede humanitarian access and aid delivery into and within the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Between January and May this year, partners recorded 230 access incidents linked to checkpoints, road closures and other obstacles. These have led to delays in relief work and, in some cases, the cancellation of humanitarian missions, it said.
Ongoing restrictions on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and on nongovernmental organizations apply to both Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, said OCHA. ■
