Thousands of displaced Palestinians remained in the Khan Younis camp and at least 19 people have been killed, according to the latest media reports.
“Nowhere is safe in Gaza”
“While the IDF claimed that it attacked Hamas militants operating in an integrated command and control center in the humanitarian zone, I stress that International humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attacks, must be respected at all times.“, said Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, in a statement.
He stressed that civilians should never be used as human shields.
“Once again, these actions only highlight that there is no safe place in Gaza.” said.
End the war
The envoy reiterated his call for all parties to immediately reach an agreement that would allow for the release of all hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, adding that the killing of civilians must cease and the horrific war must end.
“Ultimately, only a political path that outlines tangible and irreversible steps to end the occupation and establish a two-state solution can bring a lasting end to the suffering of Palestinians and Israelis,” he said, noting that the UN stands ready to support all efforts to achieve that goal.
Polio convoy stopped
Meanwhile, the UN agency that helps Palestine refugees, UNRWA, reported that on Monday the Israeli army stopped a convoy heading to northern Gaza to vaccinate children against polio and held it for more than eight hours, despite detailed prior coordination.
UNRWA, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) launched a three-part campaign this month to protect more than 600,000 young children in the enclave from polio after the disease was detected in sewage samples in June.
The UN convoy was carrying national and international staff travelling to implement the campaign in Gaza City and northern Gaza, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.
Personnel threatened, vehicles damaged
The convoy was stopped at gunpoint just after the Wadi Gaza checkpoint and UN personnel were threatened with arrest. Bulldozers caused severe damage to UN armoured vehicles.
Mr Lazzarini said that while all staff and the convoy had been released and returned safely to base, he was not sure whether the polio campaign could be carried out in northern Gaza on Tuesday.
“This significant incident is the latest in a series of violations against UN personnel, including shootings at convoys and arrests by the Israeli military at checkpoints despite prior notification,” he said.
“UN personnel must be able to carry out their duties in safety and security and be protected at all times, in accordance with international humanitarian law. Gaza is no exception.”
Vaccination underway
In a tweet later on Tuesday, UNRWA sent an update saying that despite the convoy’s delay, “our teams have been able to vaccinate thousands of children in northern Gaza today.”
“It is a race against time,” the agency added. “The spread of polio is a very real threat. Our colleagues continue to do everything possible to reach all children under 10 years of age throughout the Gaza Strip.”
One convoy, two missions
The delayed convoy consisted of two missions, the UN health agency WHO said in Geneva on Tuesday.
One team was transporting fuel and vehicles for the third phase of the vaccination campaign, while another was trying to deliver desperately needed fuel to the besieged Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
The enclave's largest medical center reopened its emergency department in early September after it was destroyed in an Israeli attack in November 2023, following allegations that Palestinian armed groups were using the site for military purposes.
'It is not an isolated incident'
“This is not an isolated incident,” said WHO spokesman Tarik Jašarević, who lamented the lack of a “functioning deconfliction mechanism” 11 months after the start of the Gaza war.
Between 7 and 10 September, WHO teams attempted to reach Al-Shifa Hospital four times without success.
“We will try again today,” he said. “We really do everything we can, but this is a trend: in August, the number of denied access requests doubled compared to the previous months.”
