NEW YORK: UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric emphasized today that Israel, as the occupying power in Gaza, is required to enable the United Nations to fulfill its responsibilities. During his daily press briefing, Dujarric addressed Israel's recent proposal to take over food distribution in Gaza, noting, "The UN has not been contacted or provided with any plan regarding this matter." Dujarric mentioned that while Israel had suggested this idea before, he reaffirmed that "UNRWA is the backbone, heart, lungs, and arm of distributing health, food, and humanitarian aid in Gaza." He described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "beyond horrific" and highlighted a 35 percent decrease in food distribution compared to July. Dujarric attributed this significant drop mainly to "evacuation orders" issued intermittently by Israeli authorities. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA