Capitals: Europe and the Arabs
Hamada Al-Bayari, an official at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Gaza Strip, said that the situation on the ground in the Strip “appears to be very dangerous” and that the challenges may be “unprecedented,” warning that providing humanitarian services in those circumstances may be “fraught with risks.” According to what was stated in the daily United Nations news bulletin, a copy of which we received on Thursday morning
He reported that the number of deaths reached more than 1,100, while the number of injured exceeded 5,300, noting the "major destruction" that occurred in various areas in the Gaza Strip and the infrastructure there.
He explained that most of the displaced, whose number exceeded 280,000, went to the asylum centers prepared in advance by the Palestine Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), as well as some centers that were not prepared to receive the displaced.
He said, "The situation may be unprecedented regarding the availability of electricity," noting that the only power plant in the Gaza Strip was forced to stop all its operations due to a lack of fuel.
He warned that this matter may greatly affect "the civilian population's access to basic services such as health, water, and other services."
On the other hand, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that the situation in southern Lebanon along the Blue Line “remains tense,” while “cases of indirect shooting” were recorded from both sides of the line during the past two days, including the firing of illuminating shells. And artillery.
During his daily press conference in New York, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that a UNIFIL patrol was subjected to “aggressive behavior” by a group of people southwest of the Lebanese town of Maroun al-Ras yesterday morning, Wednesday.
He stated that the crowd tried to enter one of the UN vehicles, but there were no casualties among UNIFIL personnel.
Dujarric said that peacekeepers continue to patrol and maintain their presence along the Blue Line to help maintain stability despite this incident.
He also indicated that the head of the UN mission, Major General Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, is in constant contact with his counterparts in the Israeli army and the Lebanese Armed Forces as part of the mission’s communication and coordination mechanism “to help calm this very volatile situation and prevent any loss of life.”