Aid trucks enter Gaza as famine looms
Dozens of trucks carrying aid for Gaza have been moving from Egypt for four consecutive days, following Israel's decision to ease the blockade on the Palestinian enclave. Israel announced a temporary halt in military operations for 10 hours daily in parts of Gaza and established new aid corridors, while Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped supplies into the region, where alarming images of starving Palestinians have emerged.
A global hunger monitor indicated that a famine scenario is developing in Gaza, with rising malnutrition rates and children under five dying from hunger-related causes. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned that the man-made starvation crisis could be formally classified as a famine, potentially increasing pressure on Israel to allow more food into the area.
Despite Israel's recent steps to facilitate aid access, the U.N. World Food Programme reported difficulties in obtaining the necessary permissions to deliver sufficient aid. Images of emaciated children have drawn international outrage, with U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledging the starvation crisis and promising to establish new food centers.
Israel has denied implementing a starvation policy, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stating that while the situation in Gaza is challenging, claims of starvation are exaggerated. The blockade on aid to Gaza began in March as a tactic to pressure Hamas to release hostages, and aid distribution was reopened with new restrictions in May. Israel maintains that it allows aid but must prevent it from being diverted by militants, attributing the suffering of Gaza's population to Hamas.
As humanitarian conditions worsen, hundreds of Palestinians have gathered in northern Gaza, seeking basic necessities like flour. Gaza health authorities report a rising number of deaths from hunger-related causes, totaling 147, including 88 children, most occurring in recent weeks.
