Gazans battle harsh weather as winter intensifies: UN
Qatar says hopes to push Hamas, Israel to next talks phase ‘very soon’
UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations says its humanitarian partners in Gaza are scaling up winterization efforts as cold weather and heavy rain continue to impact displaced Palestinians.
More than 230,000 families – that’s around 1.15 million people – received monthly food parcels between 1 and 27 November, through 59 distribution points, including 21 in northern Gaza.
Shelter partners distributed over 8,800 blankets and more than 300 tents, with additional tarpaulins and mattresses arriving this week.
Site management teams warn that flooding remains a major risk.
Sandbags have been deployed to 41 displacement sites, while cash-for-work teams have been reinforcing drainage and collect empty flour sacks to improve insulation.
On Friday, UN-coordinated aid entering Gaza included dignity kits, menstrual health items, medical supplies and adolescent kits – though road damage and limited transport continue to restrict access, especially in the north.
Protection partners say gender-based violence services reached 671 women and girls in one day last week, with new tents allowing safe spaces to reopen after flood damage.
Briefing reporters in New York on Monday, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said humanitarian conditions remain extremely dire even as aid operations continue.
Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ramiz Alakbarov, has just finished a fact-finding mission to Gaza, stressing the importance of unfettered humanitarian access.
“Meanwhile, our partners leading the health response report that they continue to restore services across the Strip – with 234 health service points now
Shelter needs are still high, with some 1.5 million people in need of urgent support.
Over the weekend, 160 high-performance tents arrived in Gaza for learning activities – the biggest influx so far.
However, stationary and other school supplies are still not being allowed into Gaza, Mr. Dujarric warned, hampering efforts to scale up the response.
Around 123,000 families have received cash assistance since the fragile truce began – exceeding the target of 120,000 under the 60-day ceasefire plan.
Meanwhile, Gaza talks mediator Qatar said on Tuesday it hoped Israel and Hamas could be brought to a new phase of negotiations for a peace deal in the Palestinian territory following their October ceasefire agreement.
“We think that we should be pushing the parties to stage two very, very soon,” Qatar foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said.
“That includes, of course, the issues that are complicating the situation, like the fighters in the tunnels behind the Yellow Line, like the incidents that take place every couple of days,” he added.
The so-called Yellow Line marks the point to which Israeli troops have withdrawn inside the Gaza Strip. Dozens of Hamas fighters remain holed up in tunnels beyond the line, though Israel says it has been targeting and killing them.
Qatar, alongside the United States and Egypt secured a long-elusive truce in Gaza, which came into effect on October 10 and has mostly halted two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Monitoring Desk
