Israel pressured by UN and US to step up action to tackle Gaza’s escalating humanitarian crisis

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The top U.N. humanitarian official is accusing Israel of blocking the delivery of desperately needed aid to Gaza, and the U.S. ambassador is demanding that its government step up efforts to tackle the Palestinian territory’s ”intolerable and catastrophic humanitarian crisis.” Acting humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya and U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stepped up the pressure on Israel at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the escalating humanitarian emergency, especially in northern Gaza. Wednesday’s council meeting follows a U.S. warning to Israel to boost aid efforts dramatically or risk losing funding for weapons from its main supplier. Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon insisted that his country’s humanitarian efforts remain “as comprehensive as ever.”