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UN warns of winter crisis in Gaza as Israel continues to block vital aid

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 25 October 2025 3:33 PM

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned that the Gaza Strip is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis as winter approaches, with vital shelter and supplies blocked by Israel from entering the besieged territory.

In a statement on the social media platform X on Saturday, the UN agency said that shelter and winter materials meant for displaced families "are sitting in UNRWA warehouses in Jordan and Egypt, blocked from entry."

"As winter approaches in Gaza, people are increasingly in need of shelter and warmth," it said, urging Israel to immediately restore humanitarian access and comply with international law.

Israel's restrictions on aid continue despite the latest ceasefire deal with Hamas, brokered by US President Donald Trump. The first phase of the 20-point plan included a prisoner exchange and was meant to lead to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

UNRWA's warning came after a senior Israeli official said that Tel Aviv "does not intend to allow UNRWA to return to work in Gaza despite the International Court's decision" requiring it to do so.

Earlier this week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found that Palestinians in Gaza "have not received sufficient supplies" of humanitarian assistance and ruled that Israel must facilitate aid delivery and end the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

The opinion, issued as a non-binding legal advisory, outlined Israel's obligations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank following a request from the UN General Assembly in December 2024.

UNRWA's senior communications manager, Jonathan Fowler, told the BBC that the ICJ ruling made Israel's actions "clearly wrong and against all obligations that member states are meant to follow."

"It's incumbent upon all member states of the United Nations to ensure that international law is followed by all other member states," he said, adding that UNRWA must be "allowed to do its work in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory, and accountability must come."

Despite international rulings and mounting global concern, Washington has echoed Israel's opposition to UNRWA's role, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying on Friday that the UN agency "is not going to play any role" in Gaza's future administration or aid distribution.

Speaking at the US Civil-Military Coordination Center overseeing the ceasefire, Rubio said, "UNRWA is not going to play any role in providing aid."

His remarks came as Israel's continued blockade of aid has left residents in Gaza without adequate food, medicine, or shelter.

In a related development, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that there has been little improvement in humanitarian access since the truce took effect on October 10.

"The situation still remains catastrophic because what's entering is not enough," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters, adding that "there is no dent in hunger because there is not enough food."

UN agencies warn that without immediate access to life-saving supplies, the coming winter could push thousands more civilians to the brink of starvation and disease.