Israel has begun dripping food and medicine into the Gaza Strip as it seals off 2 million Palestinians in the territory from all imports for more than two and a half months.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he eased the lockdown under pressure from allies who declined to be named in support of the latest major Israeli attack on Hamas. The Israeli strike has killed hundreds of Palestinians in recent days, and the humanitarian crisis is the worst of 19 months.
The move, which had been welcomed by UN agencies and aid groups, had been using up a few weeks ago, but said the promised aid was far less than the ones needed. The UN said on Monday that only five trucks have entered Gaza since Monday, compared with about 600 a day in the ceasefire earlier this year.
Experts warn that if the lockdown is not lifted and military operations continue. According to the integrated food security phase classification, nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible hunger, and another million people are barely able to access enough food.
The UK, France and Canada, Israel’s allies are called “totally inadequate” and threaten “specific actions”, including sanctions, including Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
This is a closer look.
Why is Israel blocking humanitarian aid?
Israel imposed a ban on imports on March 2, saying it was hoped that Hamas would accept a more favorable ceasefire agreement for Israel than the organization signed in January. Two weeks later, Israel broke the truce with a wave of air strikes that killed hundreds of people.
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Israel accused Hamas of sneaking aid and using it to fund its military activities without providing evidence. The United Nations said there are mechanisms that can prevent any large transfer of aid.
Israel has also tried to put pressure on Hamas to release more hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023, which has sparked conflict. In that attack, militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and occupied 251 hostages. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli attack killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, which said women and children account for the majority of the dead, but did not specify how many were fighters or civilians.
Hamas said it will return only the remaining 58 hostages (which are believed to be about one-third) in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and Israeli evacuation from the territory.
Netanyahu rejected the terms, saying Israel would continue the conflict until all hostages are returned, Hamas is destroyed or disarmed and exiled. Even then, he vowed to maintain control of the territory and promote what he referred to as voluntary immigration as a large part of his Palestinian population.
The Palestinians, the Arab world and most international communities reject these plans. Human rights experts say violations of international law could constitute mass expulsion.
What impact does the blockade have on Gaza?
Gaza's population is almost entirely dependent on international aid, as Israel's offensive undermines almost all food production capacity in the territory and displaces 90% of its population.
The local market offers only a small amount of vegetables at high prices. Most people rely on charitable kitchens that have been steadily closed in food. Thousands of kitchens gather outside every day, hanging out in flower pots for a few pieces of soup, rice or lentils. Many people returned empty-handed.
The United Nations Children's Agency said that so far this year, more than 9,000 children have been treated for malnutrition. Thousands of pregnant women and breastfeeding women and those who cannot promote the population to get sick, older or disabled, are also at an increasing risk.
According to UNFPA, an estimated 20% of pregnant women in Gaza are malnourished and half face high-risk pregnancy. In February and March, at least 20% of newborns are born prematurely or suffer from malnutrition or other complications.
Meanwhile, the hospital said that even if they responded to the daily mass casualties of the Israeli strike, their medical supplies were low.
What is Israel’s plan to take over the aid allocation?
Netanyahu said the easing of the lockdown this week was intended to bridge the gap before launching a new system to distribute the aid Israel said to be designed to keep it away from Hamas' hands.
A new group supported by the U.S. Supported by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, consisting of U.S. security contractors, former government and humanitarian officials and former military officials, plans to establish four allocated locations protected by private security companies. Each person will serve 300,000 people, with a total coverage accounting for only half of the population.
UN agencies and aid groups have refused to participate in the program, saying it will not meet local needs and violate humanitarian principles by giving Israeli control to obtain assistance rather than providing assistance as needed. They also warned that this would lead to new displacement as people were forced to relocate to the hub built in southern Gaza.
The groups say there is a lot of aid outside Gaza and if Israel allows them to allow it, they can quickly distribute it within the territory.
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
