UN and Red Cross Urge Opening of All Gaza Crossings for Humanitarian Aid

The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have called for all border crossings into war-torn Gaza to be opened immediately to allow the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid amid a deepening crisis.

In a joint press conference held in Geneva, both organizations emphasized the necessity of unrestricted access to Gaza, especially as efforts continue to implement a ceasefire under a plan supported by U.S. President Donald Trump. The region is grappling with famine and critical shortages of essential supplies.

Christian Cardon, spokesperson for the ICRC, told reporters, "Over the past few hours, humanitarian agencies including the ICRC have reiterated the need to open all entry points due to the immense demand for aid."

Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), echoed the call, saying, "All crossings need to be open. We need all borders open."

Laerke added that some of the border infrastructure has been partially destroyed, and internal roads in Gaza must be cleared to facilitate the movement of aid trucks.

On August 22, the United Nations officially declared a state of famine in Gaza. Experts have warned that nearly half a million people are facing catastrophic conditions.

According to Laerke, the UN currently has 190,000 metric tons of relief supplies ready to be sent into Gaza.

The ceasefire officially began last Saturday. As part of the agreement, Hamas returned 20 living and four deceased hostages on Monday. In return, Israel released over 2,000 Palestinian detainees.

There had been hope that the ceasefire would bring an end to the ongoing Israeli assaults in Gaza. However, within just two days, Israeli forces shot and killed five Palestinians, raising concerns about the fragility of the truce.