Palestinians are starving or are being killed by Israelis seeking help

Palestinians are starving or are being killed by Israelis seeking help

After 21 months of warfare in Gaza, the coastal strip is marked by increasing scenes of death and hunger. People are dying trying to reach help, others are starving, and criticism of Israel's actions is being voiced even among many of its closest allies. The United Nations says more than 1,000 people have been killed while searching for food since late May, when a controversial new aid agency, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), began its work.

The situation in Gaza: A complete siege

Before the conflict, Gaza was already one of the most isolated and densely populated areas in the world, with around two million people living in an area of ​​363 square kilometers. Israel has maintained tight controls for years through a land, air and sea blockade that has severely restricted the movement of goods and people. According to the UN, more than half of the residents were considered undernourished and lived below the poverty line.

Before the war, the flow of aid supplies into Gaza had grown to 500 to 600 trucks a day. That figure has since fallen to an average of just 28 trucks per day, a group of humanitarian organizations reported on Wednesday. It remains unclear whether this number includes the trucks used for GHF operations.

The humanitarian crisis is worsening

Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed more than 1,200 people and took over 250 hostage, Israel ordered a "full siege" of Gaza, cutting off supplies of electricity, food, water and fuel. As a result, a humanitarian crisis quickly developed as the trapped residents faced both starvation and a devastating Israeli military offensive. Human rights groups criticized Israel's use of food as a "weapon of war" and accused the country of using "collective punishment."

A brief respite and a temporary ceasefire

As a result of international pressure, the first aid deliveries arrived in Gaza at the end of October. A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on November 24, 2023, slightly increasing aid flows. But the ceasefire collapsed a week later.

Aid deliveries then fell again, while strict Israeli controls continued to delay deliveries. Israeli authorities said the checks were necessary to prevent Hamas from diverting aid, while humanitarian officials accused Israel of deliberately cutting aid.

Collapse of social order

As Israel's offensive destroyed swathes of Gaza, displacing most of its residents and weakening Hamas's control, lawlessness spread. Looting became a new obstacle for UN trucks, and casualties at relief sites increased. The UN warned just weeks into the war that public order was beginning to break down as desperate Palestinians stole flour and hygiene products from storerooms.

In November 2024, the UN sounded the alarm again, saying the ability to deliver aid had “completely disappeared.” In one of the worst lootings, more than 100 trucks were lost. Drivers were forced to unload trucks under threat of violence, laborers were injured and vehicles sustained significant damage.

A new aid organization and the tragedy of famine

In January this year, Israel banned UNRWA from operating in Gaza, depriving hundreds of thousands of people of access to vital services such as food, health care and education. In May, the GHF announced that it would begin distributing aid with Israel's approval. Shortly before its launch, GHF director Jake Wood resigned, saying it was impossible to carry out the work “with strict respect for the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.”

The UN refused to participate in this model because the GHF violated some basic humanitarian principles. Critics pointed out that there are only a small number of GHF distribution points in southern and central Gaza - far fewer than under the previous UN model, resulting in large gatherings of people in limited locations.

On Sunday, Gaza's Health Ministry reported that ten people died due to hunger and malnutrition in 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinian deaths from starvation to 111. On Wednesday, 111 international humanitarian organizations called on Israel to end its blockade and agree to a ceasefire, warning that supplies in the enclave were now "completely exhausted."

International reactions and the future of aid

An Israeli official said at a news conference on Wednesday that more aid was expected to be sent to the enclave in the future. “We want to see more and more trucks entering Gaza and distributing aid as long as Hamas is not involved,” the official said.

International pressure on Israel continues to grow, including from the United States. On Monday, the foreign ministers of 25 Western countries criticized Israel for "drip aid" to the Gaza Strip. Israel's Foreign Ministry dismissed the statement as "unrealistic."