Israel Gaza war: UN aid convoy ‘denied entry to north’

Mr Elder described how on Wednesday he was travelling on a Unicef lorry in an aid convoy trying to get from southern to northern Gaza.

He said that despite having all the necessary paperwork it took them 13 hours to travel about 40km (30 miles).

After spending eight hours at checkpoints they were finally denied entry, he said, “so 10,000 children who were going to benefit from nutritional supplies, medical supplies, did not”.

Mr Elder said he did not know why the convoy was denied entry, but said such denials were “consistent and relentless” and that there were hundreds of examples.

He also said that during the checkpoint wait he saw about eight fishermen trying to catch fish with a single net.

“Suddenly we heard a tank coming down, we heard… automatic fire,” he said.

“We saw two men on the beach, two fishermen fleeing, one was shot in the back, one in the neck.”

The Unicef spokesman said the WHO, who had paramedics in the convoy, called through to the IDF to be allowed to give the men medical support, but that support was denied.

He said he was later able to see the fishermen’s wounds when their colleagues were allowed to retrieve the bodies.