New York - Gaza: Europe and the Arabs - Agencies
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said on Friday that it is expected to begin delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip via the floating dock in the coming days, adding that the dock is still in the port of Ashdod, and will be moved to its location off the coast of the Strip when security and weather conditions permit.
Ryder explained, according to the American Al Hurra Channel, that the construction of two parts of the floating dock has been completed, and they are located off the beach in the port of Ashdod awaiting final movement, indicating that these temporary docks will be put in place very soon after security and weather conditions improve.
For his part, Martin Griffiths, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that civilians in Gaza are starving and being killed while relief agencies are prevented from helping them. He added: "For three consecutive days, no one or thing was allowed to enter or leave Gaza."
The UN official said, on the X website, that closing the crossings leading to Gaza means a lack of fuel, which results in the cessation of trucks, generators, water, electricity, and the movement of people and goods, and means a lack of aid.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the United Nations, said that the Gaza Strip has not received any humanitarian aid or fuel through the Rafah crossing in recent days, and it is likely that the number of those who fled Rafah is close to 100,000 due to the continuous bombing of the city and its environs.
During the daily press conference, Haq said that people were still fleeing the city “out of fear,” adding that as of last night, “about 80,000 people had been displaced from Rafah since Tuesday, when the Israeli army’s ground operation there began.”
The deputy spokesman said that most of the displaced are seeking safety in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah, which lack the basic services necessary to support civilians who need food, shelter, and health care.
“The World Food Program has reported that its main warehouse in Gaza is now inaccessible,” Mr. Haq said. “It says only one bakery is still operating and that food and fuel supplies are running out. Without this aid, the World Food Program says its operations will cease.”
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that some hospitals will start shutting down their generators within three days if they do not receive fuel. It added that as of today, its facilities have almost run out of fuel, leading to the rationing of the small amount that remains in Gaza.