Geneva: The United Nations announced on Tuesday that Israel has authorized the entry of approximately 100 additional emergency aid trucks into the Gaza Strip, following weeks of a near-total blockade. Despite this progress, the initial aid shipments remain under Israeli control and have not yet been distributed.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza, home to 2.3 million people, has intensified in recent weeks, with international experts warning of an impending famine. Mounting global pressure appears to have influenced Israel’s decision to ease its 11-week restriction on aid convoys.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told reporters in Geneva that a larger number of trucks had been approved compared to the previous day. “We have requested and received approval for more trucks to enter today, many more than were approved yesterday,” he said, estimating the number at around 100.
On Monday, nine aid trucks were permitted to pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing, the first to be cleared in weeks. However, Laerke said only five of them had actually crossed into Gaza and remained under Israeli supervision, pending final inspections.
“The next step is to collect them, and then they will be distributed through the existing system,” he explained. These trucks reportedly contain essential supplies such as baby food and child nutrition products. Laerke emphasized the urgency, warning that some infants’ lives could be at risk without immediate access to these life-saving items.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher previously described the amount of aid allowed in so far as "a drop in the ocean" given the scale of the crisis.
He stated that nearly 14,000 babies can die if the aid doesn't reach them in 48 hours, spreading concerns all over the world.
Israel has justified the blockade as a measure to prevent aid from being commandeered by Hamas, the militant group that governs Gaza. Hamas has denied accusations of aid diversion.
Meanwhile, Akihiro Seita, the Director of Health at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said that malnutrition is already on the rise and could worsen drastically if food shortages persist. “I have data until the end of April and it shows malnutrition on the rise,” he said, warning of an exponential increase that could soon spiral out of control.
The situation remains critical as Israel signals plans to expand military operations in Gaza, a territory ravaged by months of intense conflict following Hamas’ deadly incursion into southern Israel in October 2023.
