UN:Israel´s daily 3-hour truces in Gaza good first step, but not nearly enough

Two Israeli soldiers rest beside the tank in the Gaza Strip  Jan.6, 2009. The Israeli army has said that it would hold  fire in the Gaza Strip for three hours every day from Jan.7  to allow local residents to prepare basic supplies. (Xinhua/Tsafrir Abayov)

"The single biggest problem we have at the moment, apart from getting goods in, is moving around Gaza both for ourselves and the population," he said. "The International Red Cross has said and they're not prone to exaggeration that people are dying because ambulances cannot get to them in time, people cannot get to hospitals."

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry also called the lull a good step but not nearly enough, while UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Director of Operations in Gaza John Ging, speaking by video link from Gaza, gave an eyewitness account of the civilian population's reaction to the pause.

"I just want to convey to you the phenomenal feeling, the relief of psychological pressure for those couple of hours, it was palpable," he said of the people going out to get water, food and other essential items. "They still continue to believe in the United Nations ... (and are asking), why only three hours, if they can do it for three hours, why not 24 hours," he added.

"That was a precious three hours and sadly now we have 21 more hours to go before they have another three hours of safety, and God knows how many will be killed and injured in the coming period," he said.

Ging said he visited the UNRWA school that was the scene of Israeli shelling on Tuesday that killed 43 people and injured 100 others, and all staff there insisted there were no Hamas militants inside the compound itself. Israel says it was returning fire against mortar shots coming from the area of the school and some media reports have quoted residents corroborating this.