The UN said it was working to enable Gazans access to the much-needed aid as Israeli military restrictions had delayed the delivery of supplies that entered the Strip.
After nearly three months of total blockade on food, medicine, fuel supplies, Israel has allowed a small number of trucks to enter Gaza after international pressure mounted on the Israeli government. However, the aid supplies have remained on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Aid Supplies Shortage
The UN Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said that most of the supplies that entered Gaza since Monday had been loaded onto UN trucks, but failed to get out of the crossing area because the road that the Israeli military permitted them to use was extremely unsafe.
Another UN official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that some trucks had left the crossing area and arrived at warehouses in Gaza on Wednesday night. Moreover, Israel said that 100 trucks had crossed into Gaza on Wednesday.
The Israeli blockade forced community kitchens in the Gaza Strip to close their doors after they had run out of food supplies, exacerbating malnutrition and hunger and putting the enclave at risk of famine.
On Sunday, Israel announced it would allow “basic amount of food” to enter Gaza to prevent a “starvation crisis” that could threaten its ongoing military operation in the Strip. However, aid groups warn that this small amount is insufficient.
Israeli Restrictions
Under the current aid delivery system, aid workers unload supplies after entering Kerem Shalom and then reload them onto their own trucks to distribute them. The delays in supplies delivery were a result of concerns over looting and restrictions imposed by the Israeli military.
In the light of this, a UN official and another humanitarian worker told AP that the Israeli military had given them permission to use a highly unsafe route which have looters. Furthermore, the military gave the trucks a short timeframe to enter Kerem Shalom and rejected a number of individual truck drivers.
New Aid Mechanism
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that Israel would implement a new mechanism for aid delivery in Gaza in the coming days. He added that the new plan involves creating a “sterile zone” in southern Gaza which would be free of Hamas, where the population of Gaza would move to receive supplies.
Under the plan, a new private foundation called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and armed private contractors would oversee a small number of distribution hubs, where Palestinian civilians will head once a week to get one aid package per family, supposedly sufficient for 7 days.
In the initial phase of the plan, four hubs are being built: one in central Gaza and three at the far southern end of the enclave. The next phases will include more hubs in the north and other locations within the next month.
Netanyahu’s plan has faced harsh international criticism, as the UN and other humanitarian organizations said it would allow Israel to weaponize aid and forcibly displace Gaza’s population.
Israel’s Renewed Offensive
Israel has expanded its offensive in Gaza, launching Operation Gideon Chariots throughout the north and south of Gaza to take control of the enclave and step up pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages. The Israeli strikes continue over Gaza, killing at least 86 people on Wednesday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Furthermore, Israeli forces have encircled two of the last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the facilities, according to hospital staff and aid groups.
The Israeli military escalation in Gaza has caused international outrage as more countries are taking actions against Israel. On Tuesday, the UK suspended free trade talks with Israel and imposed sanctions on West Bank settlers, while the EU said it would review its ties with Israel. Moreover, the Foreign Ministers of 23 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Australia and the UK, as well as EU representatives, urged Israel to stop politicizing humanitarian aid for starving Gaza’s population and immediately resume aid entry into the Strip.
The war in Gaza, which erupted following the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has so far claimed the lives of more than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
