New Delhi

In Gaza, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has asserted that starvation is being employed as a tool of warfare. Josep Borrell characterised the absence of aid reaching the region as a calamity deliberately caused by human actions.

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Despite a Spanish ship transporting crucial food supplies from Cyprus to Gaza, the UN underscores that this effort cannot fully replace land deliveries.

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In the face of Israeli restrictions on road access, aid agencies report that only a fraction of the necessary aid is reaching its destination. To address this, alternative routes such as sea and air drops are being explored and used now.

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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, meanwhile, vowed to press on with an offensive in southern Gaza.

The UN World Food Programme recently used a land route to deliver aid to northern Gaza, with ongoing efforts to scale up these deliveries.

On Tuesday, a UN World Food Programme convoy used a land route to deliver aid to northern Gaza for the first time in three weeks.

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The trucks used an Israeli military road running along Gaza's border fence, Jamie McGoldrick, UN aid coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, told Reuters.

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Enough food for 25,000 people was delivered to Gaza City, with WFP spokesperson Shaza Moghraby saying they were hoping to scale up deliveries, but need access to be regular and consistent.

Israel says it is not to blame for Gaza's food shortages as it is allowing aid through two crossings in the south.

Borrell, in his address to the UN Security Council, emphasised that the humanitarian crisis is a consequence of the lack of viable land routes.

The UN has issued a warning that a significant portion of Gaza's population is teetering on the brink of famine. Tragically, at least 27 people, including many children, have succumbed to malnutrition and dehydration in the past two weeks, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

In response to this dire situation, the EU is actively working to facilitate humanitarian assistance. Borrell drew parallels between the use of starvation as a weapon in Gaza and similar condemnations in Ukraine.

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Meanwhile, the UN continues its mediation efforts while Israel's military campaign in Gaza persists.

(With inputs from agencies)