Israel has allowed limited humanitarian aid into Gaza for the first time since it imposed a near-total blockade in March, enabling some bakeries to resume bread production and delivering baby food and medical supplies to the war-torn enclave.
But Palestinian officials say the amount is far from sufficient to meet dire needs after 11 weeks of severe shortages.
On Wednesday, 100 aid trucks were permitted to enter the territory, including 90 carrying essential goods, such as flour, according to Palestinian officials and aid agencies. The limited easing comes after intense international pressure on Israel to prevent a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. The UN has warned that one-quarter of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now at risk of famine.
“Some bakeries will begin receiving flour to produce bread, and we expect the distribution of bread to begin later today,” said Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network in Gaza, speaking to Reuters.
However, he cautioned that the volume of aid remains woefully inadequate: “During the ceasefire, 600 trucks used to enter every day, which means that the current quantity is a drop in the ocean—nothing.”
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) is coordinating the operation. Bread will be distributed by WFP staff to vulnerable families under a controlled delivery system, in contrast to earlier methods where subsidized bread was sold directly to the public by local bakeries.
“The idea is to try and reach the most needy families, those who are desperate, as it is just the start,” said Shawa.
Israel imposed the full blockade in March, citing concerns that Hamas was diverting aid for military use—an allegation Hamas denies. The blockade has exacerbated an already deteriorating humanitarian situation, with shortages of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies affecting civilians across the enclave.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian update comes against the backdrop of ongoing Israeli military operations, which Palestinian medics say have killed at least 35 people in Gaza in recent days. Efforts by international organizations and regional mediators to broker a lasting ceasefire and restore aid flows continue, but progress has been slow.
While the resumption of aid deliveries marks a slight easing of restrictions, aid officials and local residents say much more is urgently needed to avert a wider humanitarian disaster.
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