The Tel Aviv government, he said, must guarantee that the basic needs of the population are met and facilitate the safe delivery of aid within the besieged coastal enclave.

The representative’s statements come after a large convoy of humanitarian aid was looted inside the Strip over the weekend while Israeli authorities are pressing for an end to UNRWA’s activities.

According to the information provided, 109 trucks were looted on Saturday inside Gaza, which caused the cargo of 97 of the vehicles to be lost and the drivers were forced to unload the aid at gunpoint.

“We started warning a long time ago about the complete breakdown of civil order. Until four or five months ago, we still had local capacity, people escorting the convoy. This has completely disappeared,” Lazzarini said.

The head of the main humanitarian actor in the Palestinian territories recalled that Tel Aviv’s responsibilities do not only consist on ensuring that aid reaches the access points.

On the contrary, its duty continues “when the trucks enter the Gaza Strip, until the people are reached with essential assistance.”

ef/jha/ebr