UN official says scaled-up aid deliveries to Gaza will begin on Sunday

Displaced Palestinians with their belongings pass by destroyed buildings as they return to their homes in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City on Friday (Jehad Alshrafi/AP)

The United Nations has been given the green light by Israel to begin delivering aid into Gaza starting on Sunday, a UN official said.

The aid will include 170,000 metric tons that have already been positioned in neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Egypt as humanitarian officials awaited permission from Israeli forces to restart their work.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

In the last several months, the UN and its humanitarian partners have been able to deliver only 20% of the aid needed in the Gaza Strip, according to UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher.