UN chief demands halt to truce violations amid violence, Israeli aid restrictions

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a halt to Gaza ceasefire violations amid continued reports of violence and restricted aid flow.

"I am deeply concerned about the continued violations of the ceasefire in Gaza. They must stop. Everyone must abide by the decisions of the first phase of the peace agreement," said Guterres in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

He also made the same plea on the sidelines of the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar, which he attended.

Three weeks since a United States-brokered ceasefire came into effect, almost daily flashes of violence such as drone strikes, raids, assaults, demolition of homes and raids continued to be reported by Palestine's Wafa News agency and Palestinian sources.

In a similar appeal, UN humanitarians and international aid organizations have reiterated their appeal to secure swift and unimpeded access for aid to flow to Gaza where famine had been declared in August.

Abeer Etefa, senior spokesperson at the World Food Programme, noted that hundreds of thousands of people returned to northern Gaza last month but their access to food had been "severely limited". And while many returnees have found their home in ruins, the displaced who remain in the south are "often living in tents and without access to food and services".

Etefa said more than three weeks into the ceasefire, WFP has distributed food parcels to around a million people across the Strip against a target of 1.6 million, as "part of the broad operation to push back hunger in Gaza".

"Supplies are still limited, so each family is receiving a reduced food ration, which is one parcel, and that's enough food for 10 days," said Etefa.

"We really need more access, more border crossings to be opened and… more access to key roads inside Gaza", she stressed.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Nov 3, no food aid convoy has reached the north via any direct crossings since Sept 12.

Etefa said only two border crossing points are operational, referring to Kerem Shalom in the south of the enclave and Kissufim in central Gaza. She said this "severely limits the quantity of aid that WFP and other agencies are able to bring in to stabilize the markets and to address people's needs".

The UN food relief agency spokesperson also said that some 700,000 people receive fresh bread on a daily basis through 17 WFP-supported bakeries, nine in south and central Gaza and eight in the north, with a goal to ramp up to 25.

The Norwegian Refugee Council, in a press release on Nov 5, noted that thousands of displaced Palestinian families in Gaza face winter rains and cold without adequate protection as Israel continued with its restrictions

"Millions of shelter and non-food items are stuck in Jordan, Egypt, and Israel awaiting approvals, leaving around 260,000 Palestinian families, equal to nearly 1.5 million people, exposed to worsening conditions," the NRC press release noted.

Since Oct 10, NRC said, Israeli authorities have rejected 23 requests from nine aid agencies to bring in urgently needed shelter supplies such as tents, sealing and framing kits, bedding, kitchen sets, and blankets, amounting to nearly 4,000 pallets.

"We have a very short chance to protect families from the winter rains and cold," said Angelita Caredda, Middle East and North Africa regional director for NRC, which hosts the Shelter Cluster.

Humanitarian partners also stressed the need for heavy machinery to clear an estimated 55 to 60 million tons of rubble. Without rubble removal and safe access, even temporary shelter installation remains severely constrained.

"No family should face winter out in the open," said Caredda. "Every day of delay puts lives at risk. Winter weather is on its way, and the people of Gaza have no time to lose."