ISTANBUL

The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) reported Tuesday that an Israeli army blockade delayed a convoy headed to northern Gaza for a polio vaccination campaign by more than eight hours. Despite prior coordination, the UN staff were prevented from proceeding, the agency said in a statement on X.

“All UN staff in the convoy have been released and are safely back at the UN base,” the agency confirmed, while condemning the incident as part of “a series of violations against UN staff.”

UNRWA urged that its workers be allowed to carry out their duties safely and in line with international humanitarian law, stating, “Gaza is no different.”

Israel has maintained its military offensive on Gaza since the October 7 Hamas attack, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. Local health authorities report that over 40,800 Palestinians, primarily women and children, have been killed, with nearly 94,400 others injured.

The ongoing blockade has led to extreme shortages of essentials such as food, clean water, and medicine, with much of Gaza left in ruins. Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the region.