The Israeli Cabinet approved the United States’ request to send a United Nations delegation to visit the north of the Gaza Strip to examine the situation there and identify the needs to allow residents to return to the north.
The Ynet website reported that this approval is coupled with 3 conditions, the first of which was set by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, stipulating that the delegation must visit the settlements surrounding the Strip before entering the north of the Gaza Strip.
The second condition is an Israeli clarification that the approval of the tour does not aim to return the residents to the north of the Gaza Strip, and the third condition is that a US official participates in the UN delegation’s tour.
According to the Israeli site, the visit of the UN delegation to the north of the Gaza Strip is supposed to be coordinated by the UN Secretary-General’s envoy to the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, noting that there is still one unresolved issue: which force will secure the UN delegation, whether it be the Israeli army or the United Nations security forces.
It added: “Undoubtedly, the visit will require very sensitive coordination with the Israel Defense Forces to ensure that the members of the delegation are not harmed.”
The situation in Gaza following the recent conflict has been dire, with significant human and infrastructural loss. The health authorities in Gaza reported a staggering death toll of 26,400 due to Israel’s attacks since October 7, 2023, with a significant portion of the victims being minors and women. This figure implies more than one in every 100 Gazans has died in just over three months of conflict, marking a devastating impact on the population. The intensity of the conflict has led to a pace of fatalities that surpasses many recent conflicts, with a high number of airstrikes leading to unprecedented levels of destruction. Approximately half of the buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, with the northern part of the enclave seeing even higher levels of damage. This has been attributed to the application of what is known as the Dahiya Doctrine by Israel, involving the use of disproportionate force and causing immense damage to what are considered military bases.
