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UN chief accuses Israel of only allowing a 'teaspoon' of aid into Gaza following 11-week blockade

Antonio Guterres
Antonio Guterres. Picture: Alamy

By Henry Moore

The head of the UN has slammed Israel for only allowing a “teaspoon” of aid into Gaza following a night which saw at least 60 people killed by Israeli airstrikes.

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Speaking on Friday, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said the aid allowed into Gaza this week “amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required."

He added: "The needs are massive and the obstacles are staggering."

It comes after Israel said it would allow aid in Gaza following warnings of mass starvation and famine, including one UN official claiming 14,000 children could die in the space of 24 hours if support wasn’t delivered.

Mr Guterres said more people are sure to die unless there is "rapid, reliable, safe and sustained aid access".

Israel claims it has allowed 300 aid trucks into Gaza since it ended its 11-week blockade of the region on Monday, 107 of which allegedly came on Thursday.

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But Mr Guterres says only a third of that has actually reached people in Gaza.

It comes as at least 60 people were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza overnight.

Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Sir Keir Starmer of being on the “wrong side of history” after the British PM raised concerns over Israel’s renewed assault on Gaza.

The Israeli Prime Minister attacked Sir Keir's recent comments after he released a joined statement alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney.

Mr Netanyahu said: "I could never understand how this simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada, and others. They're now proposing to establish a Palestinian state and reward these murders with the ultimate prize.

"Well, for 18 years, we had a de facto Palestinian state. It's called Gaza. And what did we get? Peace? No, we got the most savage slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

"You won't be surprised to learn that Hamas thanked President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer and Carney for demanding that Israel end its war in Gaza immediately.

"Hamas was right to thank them, because by issuing their demand, replete with a threat of sanctions against Israel, against Israel, not Hamas, these three leaders effectively said they want Hamas to remain in power.

"They want Israel to stand down and accept that Hamas's army of mass murderers will survive, rebuild, and repeat the October 7th massacre again and again and again. Because that's what Hamas has vowed to do."

Mr Netanyahu went on to address the world leaders directly.

He said: "I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney, and Prime Minister Starmer, when mass murderers, rapists, baby killers, and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice, you're on the wrong side of humanity, and you're on the wrong side of history."