Israel eases Gaza aid access amid famine
Palestinians in Gaza described the challenges they face in accessing aid, after mounting pressure prompted Israel to ease restrictions in the Palestinian enclave.
Israel carried out an air drop and announced a series of measures over the weekend, including daily humanitarian pauses in three areas of Gaza and new safe corridors for aid convoys, after images of starving children alarmed the world.
U.N. agencies said that a long-term steady supply of aid is needed to counter the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza.
The Gaza health ministry said at least 14 people had died in the past 24 hours of starvation and malnutrition, bringing the war's death toll from hunger to 147, including 89 children, most in just the last few weeks.
The World Food Programme said 60 trucks of aid had been dispatched but that this amount fell short of Gaza's needs.
"Sixty is definitely not enough. So our target at the moment, every day, is to get 100 trucks into Gaza," WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, Samer AbdelJaber, said.
The WFP said that almost 470,000 people in Gaza are enduring famine-like conditions, with 90,000 women and children in need of specialist nutrition treatments.
Qatar said in a statement it had sent 49 trucks that arrived in Egypt en route for Gaza. Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped supplies into Gaza.
Israel cut off aid to Gaza from the start of March in what it said was a means to pressure Hamas into giving up dozens of hostages it still holds, and reopened aid with new restrictions in May.
Israel says it abides by international law but must prevent aid from being diverted by militants, and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's people.
