Photo: UN News Service Children play in the Sadaqa camp in the central Gaza Strip. West Bank: UN workers deliver relief supplies to besieged Palestinian families in Qusra Peace and Security
UN aid workers have reached the village of Qusra, south of Nablus in the West Bank, where three Palestinian families remain surrounded by Israeli troops and settlers. The siege began after an Israeli outpost was established near their homes.
United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a briefing in New York that a UNICEF team had delivered drinking water, food, medicine and hygiene products to the besieged, as well as special kits for children.
Efforts by municipal workers in the West Bank to restore water supplies and power lines damaged last week faced major obstacles but were eventually successfully completed. Settlers have attacked workers and Israeli forces have detained some of them.
Over the weekend, several people were injured – including by live bullets – in two incidents in the West Bank province of Hebron that involved Israeli troops, settlers and Palestinians.
UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov said on Monday that developments in the West Bank highlight the urgent need to protect civilians, secure homes and property, and ensure the population has access to services. He stressed that what is happening in Qusra should not become the “new normal.”
The situation in Gaza
United Nations aid workers report that the Israeli military continues to carry out strikes in Gaza, mainly west of the so-called Yellow Line. This area, which occupies less than half of the Strip’s territory, now houses the majority of Gaza’s population. Among the victims of the shelling were civilians residents. &nb sp; & & nbsp;
Preparation The upcoming rainy season in Gaza is hampered by a lack of funding and many restrictions. Humanitarian organizations were able to purchase approximately 30,000 tents, most of which are still outside the sector. It is estimated that Gazans will need between 80,000 and 130,000 tents during the winter. Less than 40 percent of the $4 billion needed for humanitarian support in Gaza and the West Bank has been raised this year.