Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Security Council
All right, good afternoon. This morning, as you well know, under the Presidency of Greece and the Prome Minister of Greece, Mr. [Kyriakos] Mitsotakis, the [Security] Council held a meeting on maintenance of international peace and security: strengthening maritime security through international cooperation for global stability. Briefing Council members, our Secretary-General said that without maritime security, there can be no global security. But maritime spaces are increasingly under strain, he said, from both traditional threats and emerging dangers, adding that no region is spared and that the problem is only getting worse.
The Secretary-General said that looking ahead, action is needed in three key areas. First — respect for international law; second — we need to intensify efforts to address the root causes of maritime insecurity; and third — throughout, we need partnerships, involving everyone with a stake in maritime spaces.
He called on all to take action to support and secure maritime spaces, and the communities of people who count on those spaces.
**Economic and Social Council
Our friends in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Operational Activities for Development Segment opens today. The three-day meeting will focus on activities of the United Nations development system (UNDS) and will include a high-level dialogue with the Secretary-General that’s at 3 p.m. today. We’ll share his remarks with you.
Tomorrow morning, the Deputy Secretary-General will present the annual report on the work of the Development Coordination Office and the Resident Coordinator system. The report highlights the critical role of the revitalized Resident Coordinator system in making the UN development system more effective, more efficient and more responsive, to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The full report and its interactive version are available on the UNSDG website (unsdg.un.org) and the meeting will of course be webcast by our friends on the UN Web TV.
**World Health Organization
Today in Geneva, Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) formally adopted by consensus the world’s first Pandemic Agreement. The landmark decision by the 78th World Health Assembly culminates more than three years of intensive negotiations launched by Governments in response to the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Secretary-General pointed out that COVID-19 was a reminder that no one is safe until everyone is safe. He said that the historic WHO Pandemic Agreement strengthens global preparedness against pandemics, ensures equity and solidarity in response to health threats and upholds health as a fundamental human right. More information on the agreement can be found on the website of our friends at the World Health Organization.
**Cyprus
Turning to Cyprus, because I’ve been asked quite a bit about this: The Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, plans to travel to Cyprus from 24 to 31 May to meet with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, their representatives, as well as other actors on the Cyprus issue. She plans to subsequently engage with the guarantor powers of Greece, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in the Gaza Strip, and I have a rather long update to share with you, but with a lot of information hopefully. The first trucks of vital baby food are now inside Gaza after 11 weeks of total blockade, and it is urgent that we get that assistance distributed — as we need much, much more to cross.
Our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tell us that today, we are sending flour, medicines and nutrition supplies and other basic items through the Israeli fence into the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing. Yesterday, we managed to get in baby formula and other nutrition supplies.
To give you a sense of how this complicated operation has to work, the Israeli authorities are requiring us to offload supplies on the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom crossing and reload them separately once they secure our teams’ access from inside the Gaza Strip. Only then are we able to bring any supplies closer to where people in need are sheltering. Today, one of our team waited several hours for Israeli green light to access Kerem Shalom area and collect the nutrition supplies. Unfortunately, they were not able to bring those supplies into our warehouse. So, just to make it clear, while more supplies have come into the Gaza Strip, we have not been able to secure the arrival of those supplies into our warehouses and delivery points.
Our humanitarian colleagues reiterates that while this is a positive development, it is only a drop in the ocean of what’s required to address the massive scale of humanitarian operation and the humanitarian needs. The deprivation we are seeing in Gaza is the result of ongoing bombardments and blockade and recurrent displacement.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the Indonesian Hospital was attacked yesterday, damaging electrical generators and forcing the facility to suspend services. As of yesterday, there were 55 people in the hospital, including patients and medical staff, with critical shortages of water and food.
Also yesterday, an Israeli air strike reportedly hit a school in An Nuseirat area, killing seven people and injuring others. According to our colleagues at UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency), two of our colleagues who work at UNRWA and worked as teachers were killed in this attack, and I think I mentioned those fatalities yesterday. This comes after the death toll for UNRWA colleagues killed during the war now exceeds 300.
Today, the Israeli military issued another displacement order, affecting 26 neighbourhoods in northern Gaza, specifically in Beit Lahiya, Jabalya and its camp. The affected area spans about 35 square kilometres and represents 10 per cent of the whole area of the Gaza Strip. Humanitarian partners estimate that as of midday today local time, more than 41,000 people were displaced, including due to hostilities targeting displacement sites and displacement orders.
Our partners estimate that since 15 May, more than 57,000 people were displaced in southern Gaza and more than 81,000 people were displaced in northern Gaza due to intensified hostilities and recurrent displacement orders.
Furthermore, our partners report that the order affects 113 displacement sites, more than half of which were impacted by previous displacement orders. Among the facilities affected are three hospitals, three healthcare centres and four medical points, which are located within the displacement area.
Another two hospitals, four healthcare centres and six medical points are within 1,000 metres of the displacement area.
Our humanitarian partners estimate that 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip is now either subject to displacement orders or located in Israeli-militarized zones.
Our partners working in education also report that three temporary learning spaces, where about 500 children are supported with education and recreational activities by 12 teachers, have been impacted by today’s displacement order.
Meanwhile, our partners providing water and sanitation services report that their operations continue to be severely disrupted across the Strip due to the ongoing fuel shortages. In the northern part of Gaza, no fuel is currently available, and only half of the required weekly supply was received last week.
As a result, fuel reserves are nearly depleted. Operating hours for water wells have been further reduced, and complete shutdowns of these wells is apparently imminent.
In southern Gaza, water utilities have not received any fuel, although 140,000 litres per week are needed to maintain operations.
Food and security partners report that yesterday, at least nine kitchens in Khan Younis, Gaza City and North Gaza were temporarily closed or slated for relocation due to recent displacement orders and ongoing hostilities since 15 May.
Our food security partners say that as of yesterday, about 282,000 daily meals were prepared and delivered by 16 partners through about 70 kitchens.
**Lebanon and Israel
Moving north to Lebanon, our peacekeeping colleagues at UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) operating in the south of Lebanon tell us that today they observed an Israeli drone strike in the town of Al Mansouri, which is within UNIFIL’s area of operations. The mission is concerned about reports of civilian casualties from this strike, including injuries to two children.
Also, today the peacekeepers’ movement was obstructed by local individuals in two instances in the area of operations. Our colleagues tell us that yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pointed lasers at the peacekeepers who were conducting an operational activity in Sector West.
The mission continues to protest all such behaviours and continues to remind all sides of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN assets and premises at all times.
Meanwhile, our peacekeeping troop continues its efforts to support the Lebanese Armed Forces in addressing the issue of unauthorized weapons in UNIFIL’s area of responsibility. On Friday, 16 May, UNIFIL destroyed a weapons and ammunition cache in Sector West as the location of the weapons in an underground cavity did not allow for the safe removal of the explosives and the weapons inside that cave. UNIFIL’s activity was approved by the Lebanese Armed Forces and deconflicted with the Israel Defense Forces.
**Yemen
Turning to Yemen. In a joint statement released today, 116 aid organizations — including UN agencies and non-governmental organizations — called for urgent action to help the Yemenis who are living in what may be “their toughest year so far” after more than a decade of severe crisis and conflict.
The signatories — who include the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, Julien Harneis — stressed that humanitarians are on the ground and delivering in Yemen, despite widespread challenges.
However, sharp funding cuts are disrupting life-saving assistance to millions of people across the country, risking a major surge in humanitarian needs.
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that in recent months more than 2,200 therapeutic feeding programmes that are crucial for treating children suffering from severe acute malnutrition have stopped; 400 health facilities have either closed or could be forced to shut down or scaled back in the coming months; and almost 1 million women and girls have lost access to safe spaces. And these are just a few examples of the impact that the funding cuts and the prolonged conflict have on people in Yemen.
The humanitarian community is calling for scaled-up, flexible funding for the humanitarian appeal, which is just [9] per cent funded, as well as increased development assistance and strengthened action to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and humanitarian access for people who need that aid wherever they may be.
And just to note that this statement is released ahead of the seventh Humanitarian Senior Officials Meeting that will take place in Brussels tomorrow. The signatories urge the international community to seize this opportunity to help Yemenis rebuild their lives with dignity.
**Libya
Turning to North Africa and Libya. The UN political mission in Libya (UNSMIL) released a report today outlining the options put forth by the Advisory Committee to resolve key contentious issues that are blocking progress toward elections.
Special Representative for Libya Hanna Tetteh called the report “a launching point for a country-wide conversation about how best to overcome the political gridlock that has prevented elections since 2021”.
The report puts forward four options that could serve as a road map towards conducting elections and ending the transitional phase: conducting presidential and legislative elections simultaneously; conducting parliamentary elections first, followed by the adoption of a permanent constitution; adopting a permanent constitution before elections; or establishing a political dialogue committee.
Ms. Tetteh has presented the summary to Libyan leaders both in the eastern and western parts of the country. Next, she will bring the options to the Libyan people for feedback, conducting polling and consulting the wider public, including political parties, youth, women, civil society organizations, security actors, notables and community leaders.
**Chad
Moving to Chad, where our humanitarian colleagues are concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in the east of the country, amid the massive influx of refugees and returnees from neighbouring Sudan.
Since violence escalated in North Darfur in the past month, more than 55,000 Sudanese refugees and 39,000 Chadian returnees have been registered in Chad’s Ennedi-Est and Wadi Fira provinces.
These latest arrivals come on top of the nearly 1 million human beings who have sought refuge in Chad’s eastern provinces — thanks to the Government’s generous open-door policy — since the Sudan crisis erupted in April 2023.
OCHA says that the current capacity of reception sites is vastly insufficient to meet the scale of the needs. Most of the new arrivals are traumatized women and children.
The Tiné transit site, which can accommodate 500 people, is now hosting nearly 20,000 people — scattered around the site, sleeping in the open while awaiting relocation away from the border area.
Since mid-April, our partners have provided emergency assistance. This includes the construction of hundreds of family shelters, the distribution of food to more than 6,000 people, and providing medicine to cover the needs of 20,000 people.
People urgently need food, shelter, access to water, sanitation and hygiene services, healthcare and protection services for survivors of violence. Malnourished children also obviously need adequate treatment.
As of today, the $1.4 billion Humanitarian Response Plan for Chad is only 7 per cent funded, with only $99 million in the bank.
With just 2,000 shelters available out of the 13,500 needed and only one doctor for 44,000 people in some areas, this sizeable funding gap highlights the urgent need for increased international support especially ahead of the rainy season.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
And in the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo], a quick note from our peacekeeping there who set up a defensive position in Pangapanga, which is about 27 kilometres outside Bunia in the Ituri province. This position will help support the Congolese Armed Forces, following an attack on their bases yesterday by members of the Zaire armed group.
Peacekeepers provided first aid, including the evacuation of a wounded Congolese soldier.
And in North Kivu, the mission completed yesterday a 15-Day training programme for members of the Congolese Armed Forces to strengthen the army’s operational capacity in that province. This training offered instruction in land navigation, small-unit tactics, combat shooting and jungle survival, enhancing preparedness for operations in complex environments.
**Haiti
Moving back to this continent, and to the situation along the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Our humanitarian colleagues in Haiti are deeply concerned about the growing number of pregnant and breastfeeding women being deported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti, which is in violation of international standards.
Our partners at border crossings say they have assisted approximately 30 pregnant or breastfeeding women each day over the past month.
In total, nearly 20,000 people have been deported by land from the Dominican Republic to Haiti last month — that’s a record high. That’s what our colleagues at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are telling us.
The Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, warns that the deportations raise serious humanitarian and human rights concerns, particularly when they affect pregnant women or mothers with very young children.
She stressed that it is imperative that commitments made to protect vulnerable people are respected.
Haiti continues to face a complex humanitarian crisis, amid armed violence that continues to drive both displacement and hunger, with half the population — which is about 5.7 million people — facing acute food insecurity.
**Artificial Intelligence
And I want to flag a report published by ILO (International Labour Organization) and Poland’s National Research Institute which could impact all of us. The study, titled “Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure”, it says that one in four jobs worldwide is potentially exposed to generative artificial intelligence.
And to answer the question on everybody’s minds: Job transformation, not replacement, is the most likely outcome, it says.
Our colleagues say this report is the most detailed global assessment to date of how generative AI may reshape the world of work — you can find it online.
**World Bee Day
And before we start buzzing about, what day is today? […] Exactly. It is World Bee Day. Very good. This year’s theme is “Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all”. It highlights the critical roles bees and other pollinators play in agrifood systems. Journalists are like pollinators. Please.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thanks, Steph. Can you just confirm aid supplies, the aid trucks have gotten into Gaza but none nothing has been delivered to the warehouse?
Spokesman: That’s correct. So, yes. That’s correct.
Question: Okay. What are the numbers of trucks that have been allowed in, since the blockade has been removed?
Spokesman: Well, yes. Let’s just clarify. It is not as if everything is now open. So, some goods are being allowed in. In the end, about four trucks, not five, were allowed in yesterday. Today, we have a few dozen. I’m trying to get a more exact number, but that’s where we are. But the point is that the logistical, the security complications, and just the overall environment make this extremely, extremely difficult.
Question: And I was going to ask, because as of right now, the aid that has been allowed in is being held by Israeli security forces.
Spokesman: It is being held in the loading dock, to use a term people can understand, because things have to cross the fence from Israel into Gaza, into an area where the trucks have to be unloaded and reloaded. And then we have to get permission from the Israeli security forces to bring our people in to pick up those trucks. Today, a team was able to get into the area, but given the lateness of the hour, they were not able to bring the trucks out.
Question: And just to confirm, are they searching the supplies? Like, what is the process?
Spokesman: I mean, I have no doubt that the supplies have been scanned and searched, but the problem, there’s a procedure, and that that procedure has existed for quite some time. The challenge for us is to secure the routes that go from this sort of loading dock area to our warehouses or distribution points. We have to get clearance, obviously, from the IDF, and we also have to make sure the general area is safe for us. There’s also been a lot of congestion on the road, so it’s been very challenging.
Question: And the last thing I’ll ask, can you confirm that the baby formula is the priority in these first shipments?
Spokesman: We did not. We were not…
Correspondent: OCHA has said that.
Spokesman: Yeah. No. I know, the priority is everything. Right? The priority is massive amounts of flour, food, of cooking oil, and obviously nutrition supplies are critical. But as I understood it, the Israeli authorities told us what goods could be brought in. Yes, please, since you won the Bee Day.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Just to follow, to continue on to Gaza, there’s just some reports that have come from the ground that at least two of the eight trucks that entered were carrying only shrouds, as in for the dead. Can you confirm that?
Spokesman: That information I’ve not heard, and I spoke to a colleague of ours in Jerusalem a short while ago. I’ve not heard that at all.
Correspondent: All right.
Spokesman: We can check, but that’s not something I’ve heard.
Correspondent: Okay. Thank you.
Spokesman: Okay, Benno, and then we’ll go down the line.
Question: Hi, Steph. Just to confirm, you said a few dozen trucks went in today, but officially Israel allowed 100. Is that correct?
Spokesman: I can only tell you what actually went in. But you know, I know I keep telling you not to count trucks, but I keep talking to you in trucks. So, it’s our fault. The point is that, you know, we’re obviously thankful that some aid is getting in, but there are a lot of hurdles to cross and we haven’t been able to cross. Our colleagues have not been able to cross all those hurdles to get aid to where it’s actually needed.
Question: Okay. Then on the same subject, as I guess you have seen yesterday, there was a surprisingly strong-worded statement by the UK, France and Canada towards Israel, saying, “This escalation is wholly disproportionate to the right of Israeli self-defence after October 7”. Do you have a comment on this statement? Is that the pressure that SG wanted to see for a long time?
Spokesman: Look. I think our position has been very clear, expressed by Secretary-General, expressed by Mr. [Tom] Fletcher, by Mr. [Philippe] Lazzarini, and Ms. [Sigrid] Kaag and many others. It is very important that the international community speak loudly, both in terms of statements, but also in actual engagement with the parties to get to an agreement, engagement with Israel to allow them to get more humanitarian aid in, for those who are close and have open, direct contacts with Hamas to put pressure on them to release the hostages.
Question: Okay. And lastly, additionally to that statement of the three countries yesterday, there seemed to be a change of tone even by President [Donald] Trump, who says, who was saying a lot of people in Gaza are starving, and then we had the surprising announcement by Israel to resume some humanitarian deliveries. It seems there might be a shift in positions. Do you see that we are at a turning point politically?
Spokesman: Listen. You know, I’m not a weatherman who can predict where statements will lead and the impact they will have. We are very focused on the operations on the ground. There have been, you know, this crisis of… especially for the people involved, for the civilians involved has been horrific. It’s also been a roller coaster when people’s hopes have been raised, and then they’ve been dashed. So, let’s just hope we all work in the same direction.
Question: I don’t want you to predict the future, but do you see, is it also your assessment that countries and players are changing their tone right now?
Spokesman: Well, I think that’s a conclusion that you can draw yourself. I mean, I think, I’m not an analyst, but we’re obviously seeing very strong statements from different parts of the world. But what we need to see is actually change on the ground. Dezhi?
Question: Let me ask you some “no weatherman” question. The question is about UN system. So today, the US Health and Human Service Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in the video said that WHO is moribund, and he criticized and encouraged other countries to join the US withdrawing from WHO. Any comments from the Secretary-General?
Spokesman: WHO is an indispensable part of the UN system. I think anyone can see and can understand that issues of global health do not respect borders. Viruses cross national lines very quickly. I mean, we saw it with COVID. The only way to deal with global health issues is by Member States getting around the table and dealing with it in a scientific way, and not a political way, in a science-based matter. And WHO provides that platform.
Question: All right. The second question is concerning the financial situation of the UN. It’s been reported that Rwanda actually sent a letter to Secretary-General, offer some places for UN agencies to locate in Rwanda. You can confirm that he received?
Spokesman: The letter was received. Yes. I can confirm it.
Question: Okay. What is the response from the Secretary-General?
Spokesman: The letter’s received. I mean, I think as the Secretary-General said, they were looking at all sorts of different options to find places with lower costs, especially for staff that may not need the everyday contact with Member States and support the legislative bodies of this organization.
Question: So, in that letter, they encourage UN to dispatch what they call a technical mission to Rwanda. Is there any plan for UN to do so?
Spokesman: I’m not aware of that. Gabriel and then Javier.
Question: Thanks, Steph. Just to be clear because there’s so much confusion on these trucks and stuff, so I have to make sure I’m getting it right. Israel authorizes a certain number of trucks to cross into Gaza, correct? Some of those trucks get in. Some of them don’t, for logistical reasons or other reasons, but they authorize. Once they cross into Gaza, they’re at a holding point where they unload.
Spokesman: Yeah. And then reload.
Question: And reload by different trucks.
Spokesman: Yep.
Question: And then after they’re reloaded is when Israel tells you guys, okay. You can come get them.
Spokesman: Yeah. I don’t know if we are actually, we may very well be involved in the reloading, but the point is that we need the clearance from the Israeli security forces to be able to come and get the goods and load up our trucks. And then we also need to make sure we have the clearances to drive through the roads we want to we want to drive to our warehouses. We have to make sure that the issue with the overall security situation in Gaza along those roads is acceptable to us, and that’s not just an Israeli security issue. It’s our own issues that we have to deal with.
Question: And so how do you consider when the trucks are actually in your possession to do with them what you need to do?
Spokesman: Listen. Once the material leaves that loading area and we’re able to bring into our warehouses, it’s a step forward. But we still have to deal with the security situation in Gaza to then distribute that. So, it’s a very long, complex, complicated and dangerous process.
Question: What I’m getting at is, yeah. That I get that, and what the point is, like, I’m trying to get at, when do you no longer have to answer to Israel? That’s when Israel says… [cross talk]
Spokesman: I mean, as you know, the humanitarian movements within many parts of Gaza still has to be coordinated. Señor?
Question: Yes, Steph, on a different topic, can you please confirm that the internal affairs, OIOS (Office of Internal Oversight Services) is inquiring on the behaviour of the former chief prosecutor of the ICC (International Criminal Court)?
Spokesman: I’m not able to confirm it. [He later said: “We are aware of the decision by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to go on leave pending the investigation into the allegations that have been made against him. The United Nations and the International Criminal Court are separate institutions. I can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation by OIOS. I cannot make any further comments as the investigation is ongoing. The United Nations continues to cooperate with the ICC in accordance with the Relationship Agreement between the United Nations and the ICC, which was approved by the General Assembly on 13 September 2004.”] Any questions online?
Question: I just want to reiterate. How different is this than what was happening before the blockade? Like, what this process? [cross talk]
Spokesman: Well, I mean, before the one that was…
Correspondent: Not talking about numbers. Just like the process.
Spokesman: Before the ceasefire, multiple loading areas were open. Many, many larger volume was available, and we didn’t have to deal with the fighting. There was the… so, I mean, it was just a much simpler process.
Question: But the offloading, reloading, green light — that was all happening, right?
Spokesman: Trucks had to be loaded and offloaded, but the whole process was much smoother and much easier. And just the volume was that much greater.
Question: Thank you.
Spokesman: Madame, and then before we go, Mr. Schwinghammer.
Question: Sorry. Another one on trucks. Considering the intensification of fighting and strikes in the last few weeks and months since the broke… I mean, the ceasefire ended, do you still have enough trucks inside Gaza to take over this?
Spokesman: Let me just say, we think we have enough trucks inside Gaza to deal with the little amount of aid that is being allowed in. Madame?
Question: This is Ming Lou from China Daily. So, WHO today actually just adopted a resolution against the… to prepare better for the pandemics in the future. And this is… I guess this is the one of the big discussions that has been done without the US present. And there are a lot of doubts cast on this new agreement. And how would the United Nations react to those doubts?
Spokesman: Well, I mean, I would refer you to what I said in right at the start of the briefing, where the Secretary-General welcomed this important agreement that was a result of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. And again, there is no other way but through kind of multilateral cooperation to deal with the global health threats that we’re all facing today. Sinan?
Question: Thank you, Steph. I have a question on Syria. The European Union agrees to lift all economic sanctions on Syria. Can I have a comment, please?
Spokesman: Sure. I mean, as we’ve said before, this is a welcome development, which we hope will help the Syrian people, all of the Syrian people, rebuild their lives and rebuild their economy. Yes, sir. Yes?
Question: Hi, Steph. Just echoing on Benno’s previous question about the strong joint press statement released by members of the international community. Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu responded again, claiming that, again, the war is a war of defence. Is there a concern by the Secretary-General or the UN for that matter that these threats could result into a potential military conflict or escalating rhetoric, for that matter?
Spokesman: I mean, listen. We’ve been very open about our concern about the ongoing Israeli military activities in Gaza. I mean, the force displacement that is going on within Gaza. And I think we’ve been very clear about the need for Hamas and Israel to come to an agreement to stop the suffering. And now that Benno’s questions have all been answered, we’ve heard the sigh. We’ll just go to Gabriel.
Question: Thanks, Steph, for the follow-up. Truckloads of food supplies mean different things to different people. So, I’m trying to get a perspective so you can explain it to people that, from your guys’ perspective, the amount of flour and nutrition supplies that have entered Gaza roughly in the last 24 could feed how many people for how many days?
Spokesman: I don’t have that information. I will try to get you those… [cross talk]
Question: How many trucks of aid went into Gaza before this current conflict began? 500?
Spokesman: There were hundreds of trucks that go in every day. But what’s also very important to keep in mind, there was a large portion of that that was from the private sector, right? That was commercial goods. I mean, aid is desperately needed, right? But you also need to restart the economy, right? And you need to restock shelves in stores. You need to have stores. So, I mean, we’re understandably very focused on what we’re trying to bring in to aid the people of Gaza. But it is literally, as Mr. Fletcher said, a drop, a drop in the ocean. On that note, thank you all. See you tomorrow.