Egypt Daily News – A United Nations relief official said on Wednesday that Gaza residents have yet to receive any aid, two days after the Israeli government announced it was lifting an 11-week blockade that has pushed the Palestinian enclave to the brink of famine. The Israeli military reported that five aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday and 93 more on Tuesday.
However, relief officials and local bakeries awaiting flour deliveries said the supplies had not reached charitable kitchens, bakeries, markets, or hospitals in Gaza.
Antoine Renard, director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in the Palestinian territories, stated, “None of this aid—which consists of a very limited number of trucks—has reached the people of Gaza,” adding that the trucks appear to be stuck at the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The Israeli blockade has left Palestinians in an increasingly desperate struggle for survival, despite mounting international and domestic pressure on the Israeli government. An opposition politician warned that Israel risks becoming “a pariah state.”
Sabbah Warsh Agha, a 67-year-old woman from Beit Lahia in northern Gaza who is living in tents near Gaza City’s beach, said, “No flour… no food… no water. The pump used to give us water, but it stopped working. There’s no fuel or gas.”
Abdel Nasser Al-Ajrami, head of the Bakery Owners Association, said that at least 25 bakeries had been told they would receive flour from the WFP but received nothing. He added that hunger levels remain extreme.
Mahmoud Al-Haw, who stands among panicked crowds for up to six hours a day hoping to get some lentil soup to keep his children alive, said, “I’ve been here since eight in the morning, just waiting to get a bowl to stave off the hunger we’re living with. That bowl doesn’t even feed one person.”
Israel imposed the blockade in March, accusing Hamas of seizing aid meant for civilians—an accusation Hamas denies. A new U.S.-backed system that uses private contractors to distribute aid is expected to be implemented soon.
While residents waited for assistance, Palestinian health authorities reported that Israeli airstrikes and tank fire killed at least 34 people across Gaza on Wednesday.
The Israeli army said its airstrikes hit 115 targets, which it claimed included rocket launch sites, tunnels, and unspecified military infrastructure.
The resumption of military operations in Gaza since March—after a two-month ceasefire—has drawn condemnation even from countries previously cautious about publicly criticizing Israel. The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has shown signs of growing impatience with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The UK has suspended trade talks with Israel, and the European Union announced it would review a partnership agreement covering political and economic relations due to the “catastrophic situation” in Gaza. Britain, France, and Canada have also threatened “concrete measures” if Israel continues its military campaign.
