Gaza Herald- More than 100 humanitarian organizations have accused Israel of deliberately blocking life-saving assistance from reaching Gaza, leaving vast amounts of relief supplies stranded in warehouses across Jordan and Egypt while more Palestinians face starvation.
According to the groups, aid trucks have accumulated at Gaza’s borders due to Israel’s blockade of the famine-stricken territory, and new regulations are being applied to prevent the entry of food, medicine, water, and temporary shelters. The joint statement was released on Thursday.
No Aid Delivered Since March
“Despite claims by Israeli authorities that there are no restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, most major international NGOs have been unable to deliver even a single truck of life-saving supplies since March 2,” the organizations said. “Instead of clearing the growing backlog, Israeli authorities have rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring in essential goods, stating that these organizations are ‘not
authorized to deliver aid,’” the statement added. The signatories include long-standing organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Oxfam.
New Restrictions and Humanitarian Crisis
Relief organizations that have worked in Gaza for decades are now told they are “unauthorized” to deliver aid under new “registration rules,” which include what Israel describes as “security” vetting. As a result, hospitals in Gaza are running out of basic supplies, and children, the elderly, and people with disabilities are “dying from hunger and preventable illnesses,” the statement continued. Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s policy lead, said her organization has more than $2.5 million worth of humanitarian supplies that “have been rejected from entering Gaza by Israel.” MSF’s emergency coordinator in Gaza, Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, stated that these restrictions are part of Israel’s militarized distribution of relief supplies, led by the notorious GHF. “The militarized food distribution scheme has weaponized starvation and curated suffering. Distributions at GHF sites have resulted in extreme levels of violence and killings, primarily of young Palestinian men, but also women and children who went to the sites hoping to receive food,” Zabalgogeazkoa said. At least 859 Palestinians have been killed attempting to access aid at GHF distribution sites since May.
Calls for International Action Amid New Offensive
More than 100 aid organizations signing the statement urged pressure on Israel to end its “weaponization of aid,” to dismantle bureaucratic obstructions, and to allow unconditional delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Israel’s Diaspora Minister, Amichai Chikli, who helped implement the new rules, told AFP that registration for humanitarian organizations could be denied if Israeli authorities believe their activities undermine Israel’s “democratic character” or “promote delegitimization campaigns,” such as the boycott movement against Israel over its war on Gaza. The joint outcry comes as Israeli forces launch a new operation to occupy Gaza City, which is expected to displace more than one million people south into concentrated zones. This operation has provoked international outrage, with the United Nations and world leaders warning of catastrophic humanitarian consequences for the already war-shattered territory.
