The director of the UN World Food Program said Sunday the programme has “paused” its distribution of humanitarian aid from an American-built pier off Gaza, saying she was 'concerned about the safety of our people” after what had been one of the deadliest days of the war there.

Saturday saw an Israeli military assault that freed four hostages but left 274 Palestinians and one Israeli commando dead, and, Cindy McCain said, two of WFP’s warehouses in Gaza had been “rocketed” and a staffer injured. Sunday’s UN announcement of the pause appears the latest setback for the US sea route, set up to try to bring more aid to Gaza’s starving people.