HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Friday sounded alarm over an escalating "dire and dangerous situation" in northern Gaza and called for humanitarian access to the Jabalia area.

Citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said at a news conference that families in the north are enduring "atrocious conditions" as they struggle to survive amid intense conflict.

"OCHA warns that the ongoing lack of access to the Jabalia area has life-threatening impacts," he said, adding that the agency has submitted an urgent request to Israeli authorities to facilitate the evacuation of civilians trapped beneath the debris.

"We are now awaiting the green light," he said, recalling the previous instances where the access was allowed too late, "resulting in only dead bodies being recovered."

He further said that "OCHA calls on the Israeli authorities to allow safe, rapid, sustained and unimpeded access to Jabalia and all areas of the north where people are in desperate need of assistance."

Clashes continue in Lebanon

Haq reported that hostilities between the Israeli army and Hezbollah continue within the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping troops' area of operation.

He said that the mission documented 70 air violations by the Israeli army into Lebanese airspace, "breaking the previous day's record for daily violations since October 2023."