UN complains about hurdles: Israel allows only limited aid to Gaza

After more than a year and a half of war, the situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic, with the UN and aid organizations warning of famine. Now, for the first time in months, aid supplies may be arriving for the Palestinians – but aid workers on the ground are encountering difficulties.

For the first time since early March, aid shipments are arriving in the Gaza Strip – but according to the UN, they have not yet reached the people in need. The aid supplies are still located in an Israeli-controlled area behind the border fence, partly due to a lack of permits, said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

On Monday, humanitarian aid arrived in the embattled area for the first time in almost three months – but according to Israeli sources, only five trucks initially arrived. Dujarric explained the hurdles in distributing the aid: The UN has to obtain permits from the Israeli army. "And we also have to ensure that the general area is safe for us." The UN and aid organizations are warning of famine in the coastal strip.

On the second day after the end of the Israeli blockade of aid deliveries, Israel reported that 93 truckloads of goods were brought into the area. The humanitarian aid included flour for bakeries, baby food, medical equipment, and medicines, according to the responsible agency, Cogat.

Israel's military is making "every effort to ensure that aid does not fall into the hands of the terrorist organization Hamas," the agency said in a statement. However, Dujarric warned that the number of aid shipments arriving on Tuesday was still insufficient. During the ceasefire at the beginning of the year, up to 600 trucks carrying aid crossed the border into the Gaza Strip every day. Israel has not allowed any aid deliveries since the beginning of March. The country accuses Hamas of reselling the aid to finance its fighters and weapons.

No progress in Gaza negotiations

Meanwhile, negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza war are stalling. Israel has therefore announced that it will withdraw its senior negotiators from Qatar. "After approximately one week of intensive talks in Doha, the senior negotiating team will return to Israel for consultations, while the working-level representatives will remain in Doha for the time being," the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced.

The Hostage Families Forum sharply criticized the withdrawal of the negotiators. The majority of the country supports the release of all hostages, even if this would end the war, it said in a statement.

The foreign minister of mediator Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, had also previously stated that he saw no progress in the recent talks. There is a "fundamental gap" between the two conflicting parties. "We have not been able to bridge this gap – despite various proposals." Hamas insists on a definitive end to the fighting. Israel is initially aiming for a ceasefire in which the hostages would be released, and intends to continue fighting afterward.

Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, Israel has been conducting massive military operations in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, more than 53,400 people have been killed so far. These figures cannot be independently verified.