Blockade Pressure Mounts
After nearly three months of a comprehensive blockade that began on March 2, Israel has permitted a limited number of aid trucks to enter Gaza. This shift comes amid intense international pressure and escalating warnings about a potential famine in the region.
First Trucks Enter
On May 19, five UN aid trucks carrying baby food and medical supplies entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. This was the first such delivery since the blockade began, marking a symbolic but limited easing of the restrictions.
Netanyahu Relents Slightly
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that images of mass starvation were damaging Israel’s standing with key allies, particularly the United States. This acknowledgment prompted the decision to allow minimal food supplies into the enclave, though they fall far short of meeting the population’s needs.
Aid Still Insufficient
Before the war, Gaza received about 600 aid trucks daily. The current trickle is a fraction of that, raising serious concerns from humanitarian organizations about the adequacy of the supplies to address widespread hunger and medical shortages.
UN Raises Alarm
The United Nations has warned that at least 100 aid trucks with food and nutritional products are urgently needed to prevent the deaths of an estimated 14,000 infants in the coming days. Humanitarian leaders have called the current response grossly insufficient.
Forced Displacement Fears
UNRWA has strongly criticized Israel’s new aid delivery plan, warning that it could amount to forced displacement and possibly constitute a war crime under international law. The logistics and political implications of the plan are raising red flags globally.
Global Criticism Grows
A joint statement from 23 countries—including Australia, Canada, the UK, and New Zealand—condemned Israel for restricting aid amid intensifying military operations. They called for an immediate and impartial resumption of full humanitarian access and criticized the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as inadequate and politicized.
