Saudi Foreign Minister: We have begun to witness a shift in the issue of aid to Gaza... It is unfortunate that this happened after the killing of 6 Western aid workers at the hands of Israel and not after the killing of 33,000 Palestinians... This demonstrates the continuation of the policy of double standards.
Still not the 500 trucks minimum requested by the UN. More like 250 a day - those too heavily screened by Israel's
COGAT. and
Whist we are on the subject of aid coming into Gaza,
read this:
Israel rejecting aid for Gaza including blankets and sleeping bags 'because they are green' - aid chief
Israel has blocked crucial items of aid on insufficient security grounds, the head of a charity trying to get equipment into Gaza has said.
Melanie Ward, CEO of Medical Aid for Palestinians, told Sky News that Israel had rejected blankets based on the fact that they were green, among other refusals.
"I saw for myself a number of the items that have been rejected by the Israeli military supposedly on security grounds, that included a large box of crutches... an anaesthetic machine, I saw an X-ray machine rejected," she said.
"I saw first aid kits, bleach, a wheelchair, all these kinds of items.
"There's no excuse for rejecting these.
"This is the kind of situation that we are trying to deliver aid in."
UNRWA
Turning to the UNRWA - the UN's Palestinian Agency, Ms Ward urged the UK to resume its funding.
Major countries, including the US and UK, halted funding the agency after Israeli accusations that some of its staff took part in the 7 October attack by Hamas militants.
Israel released a dossier that it claimed supported the claims, but Sky News' and other news outlets who viewed the document said it did not provide evidence for the allegations.
Australia, Sweden, the European Commission, Finland, France and Canada have all resumed funding for UNRWA, and Ms Ward said the UK should follow.
"UNRWA is desperately needed... without it tens of thousands more Palestinians in Gaza will needlessly die," she said.
This sentiment has been echoed by major humanitarian agencies, including CARE International, which said the UK "is withholding funding to enable one of the most vital lifelines to ensure food, water and medical supplies can reach civilians across Gaza".
"Famine is already present in Gaza and with each day of delay conditions for vulnerable groups, including women and girls deteriorate further," CARE's UK head of advocacy and policy, Dorothy Sang, said.
"It is deeply concerning that the UK government is choosing delay over getting aid to those in dire need."
It follows a similar call earlier today from shadow foreign secretary David Lammy (see 13.10 post), who said: "It's shocking in the face of famine that the UK is one of the last major donors that has not yet resumed funding, without explanation."
