United Nations, November 17 (RHC)-- The United Nations has called on Israel to allow it unrestricted access to the Gaza Strip to deliver aid to the besieged territory.  The UN chief’s spokesperson said that according to international humanitarian law, civilians must be allowed to receive assistance wherever they are.

Stephane Dujarric said that Israeli authorities continue to deny the requests to access the hospitals in northern Gaza.  “The World Health Organization tells us that Israel authorities continue to deny the agency’s request to access the Kamal Adwan and the al-Awda hospitals in north Gaza governorate,” Dujarric added.

According to Dujarric last week, all three attempts to deploy an international emergency medical team were blocked in the hospitals.  North Gaza has been under an all-out siege for more than a month and people there have been ordered to evacuate.  However, the Palestinians trying to go south have been targeted by Israeli snipers and drones.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed more than 43,730 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured over 103,000 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

The Israeli military has been constructing infrastructure and large facilities in Gaza as it plans to remain in the besieged Palestinian territory at least until the end of 2025,  according to a report.  “The way it looks on the ground, the Israeli army won't leave Gaza before 2026," Israeli newspaper Haaretz cited an invading Israeli officer in Gaza as saying on Wednesday.

The newspaper referred to the construction of buildings, wide roads, and water, sewage and electricity networks in the Palestinian territory.

[ SOURCE:  NEWS AGENCIES ]