Hostilities continue in Rafah and southern Gaza despite the Israeli military’s announcement on Sunday of tactical pauses in operations to allow humanitarian aid to enter, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told reporters in Oslo on Monday.
At least three people, including a woman and an elderly man, were killed early on Monday and others were seriously injured following Israeli bombing in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza City, the Palestinian Wafa agency said citing health sources in Gaza.
Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes in the Al-Zarqa neighbourhood north of Gaza City, while strikes were also heard the Nuseirat camp and Deir Al-Balah.
Lazzarini, commissioner general of UNRWA, the main organisation delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, said that there had been no pause in the fighting.
“There has been information that such a decision has been taken, but the political level says none of this decision has been taken,” Lazzarini told a press conference.
“So for the time being, I can tell you that hostilities continue in Rafah and in the south of Gaza. And that operationally, nothing has changed yet.”
The Israeli military said on Monday its forces were continuing “focused, intelligence-based operations” in the Rafah area. Over the weekend, the military announced daily pauses from 0500 GMT until 1600 GMT in the area from the Karam Abu Salem crossing, in southern Israel, to the Salah al-Din Road and then northwards.
It later clarified that normal operations would continue in Rafah, the main focus of its operation in southern Gaza.