The Israeli authorities have rejected allegations by UN officials that they are preventing essential supplies from reaching the Gaza Strip.

COGAT, the authority coordinating Israeli government activities in the Palestinian territories, accused Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the agency providing aid to the Palestinian Territories, of “lying” in a post he made on X on Monday evening.

In the post, Lazzarini claimed that items, including medical scissors, were now on a long list of banned items that the Israeli authorities were classifying as “dual use.” An entire population depended on humanitarian assistance for survival, he said. “Very little comes in & restrictions increase,” the UNRWA head added.

Responding early on Tuesday, also on X, COGAT posted in remarks addressed directly to Lazzarini: “Lying is a sign of desperation, this did not happen.”

COGAT continued: “Over 16,000 trucks entered Gaza, with only 1.5% not permitted. Most were re-coordinated and entered later. Your info sources are wrong. We are constantly in touch with UN orgs and haven’t heard a word about it.”