UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher on Thursday called on Israeli occupation authorities to immediately lift what he described as the "cruel blockade" restricting humanitarian aid to Gaza and allow relief workers to save lives.

In a strongly worded statement, Fletcher emphasized that Israeli authorities must permit humanitarian access to Gaza and refrain from using aid as a "bargaining chip." He warned that the current restrictions are starving civilians, depriving them of essential medical care, and imposing "collective punishment."

"The occupation authorities made a deliberate decision two months ago to block all aid to Gaza and halt our efforts to rescue survivors of military attacks under the pretext of this being 'pressure tactics,'" Fletcher stated.

The UN official stressed that humanitarian operations remain "independent, neutral, and impartial," affirming that all civilians deserve equal protection. He pledged the UN's commitment to saving as many lives as possible despite the risks.

Fletcher expressed deep regret over the international community's failure to prevent this injustice, directly addressing Gaza's civilians: "We will not give up on you, even if the world gives you every reason to despair of us."

The appeal comes as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to report major operational obstacles due to:

• Severe movement restrictions within Gaza

• Ongoing Israeli military operations

• Attacks endangering relief workers and humanitarian facilities