Israel Allows Aid Trucks into Gaza Amid Pressure

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Israel Allows Aid Trucks into Gaza Amid Pressure \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Israel has permitted a small number of aid trucks into Gaza for the first time in nearly three months. International pressure, including threats of sanctions from key allies, spurred this minimal humanitarian move. The UN and aid agencies call the effort vastly insufficient as famine fears rise.

Quick Looks

First aid trucks allowed into Gaza after 3-month blockade
Only five trucks entered through Kerem Shalom, carrying baby food
UN calls the move insufficient; famine warnings intensify
Israel faced mounting pressure from allies: U.S., U.K., France, and Canada
Netanyahu says aid resumption is “minimal,” aims to avoid hunger images
Far-right Israeli ministers oppose the aid delivery
Aid plan includes U.S.-backed distribution hubs guarded by Israeli military
Humanitarian groups refuse to participate, citing ethical concerns
France, Canada, and U.K. threaten sanctions for Israel’s military actions
Over 53,000 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children, per Gaza’s Health Ministry
90% of Gaza’s population displaced amid continuous bombardment

Deep Look

For the first time in nearly three months, aid trucks have re-entered Gaza, offering a glimmer of relief to a population grappling with what the United Nations describes as a spiraling humanitarian catastrophe. The decision by Israel to allow limited humanitarian deliveries comes after weeks of mounting pressure from global allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada.

The initial convoy, comprising just five trucks loaded with baby formula and other essential goods, crossed into Gaza on Monday via the Kerem Shalom crossing. The Israeli defense body responsible for humanitarian coordination in Gaza, known as COGAT, confirmed the delivery. These trucks are the first to bring aid into Gaza since Israel reimposed a full blockade in March, cutting off food, medical supplies, fuel, and other critical resources to the densely populated enclave.

The United Nations’ top humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, described the move as a “welcome development,” yet emphasized its insignificance in the face of escalating needs. “It’s a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed,” Fletcher warned. “The people of Gaza are not just hungry—they are starving.”

During the temporary ceasefire earlier this year, up to 600 aid trucks per day entered Gaza. But since that truce collapsed, humanitarian access has been reduced to near zero, sparking dire warnings from aid agencies and food security experts. The World Food Programme and other NGOs have sounded alarms that Gaza is teetering on the brink of famine, especially in northern areas that remain cut off.

In addition to the five trucks, COGAT indicated that four more UN relief trucks have been cleared for entry and may pass through the crossing as early as Tuesday. Still, Fletcher noted that even cleared aid can be at risk, given the breakdown of civil order in many parts of Gaza. “Looting and theft are real concerns,” he said, referring to increasingly desperate civilians who are surviving on little more than leaves, flour, and polluted water.

Israel Responds to Diplomatic Pressure

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that his decision to resume limited aid deliveries was prompted by intense lobbying from allied nations. In a recorded video address, Netanyahu said, “Our greatest friends in the world told me, ‘We cannot accept images of mass hunger.’” The implication was clear: if starvation in Gaza continued to dominate headlines, it could cost Israel the international backing it has relied on throughout its war against Hamas.

But Netanyahu’s move has angered members of his far-right coalition. Several nationalist ministers had demanded that aid remain blocked, arguing that any supplies would inevitably benefit Hamas. Attempting to appease them, Netanyahu clarified that the resumed aid is “minimal” and is meant to serve as a bridge toward a new, tightly controlled distribution system.

The new system, backed by the United States, proposes aid be funneled through secure humanitarian hubs, protected by Israeli forces, to prevent diversion by Hamas. However, this approach has been roundly criticized by humanitarian organizations. They argue that such a setup would effectively militarize aid delivery and violate fundamental humanitarian principles, including neutrality and impartiality.

“The plan is deeply flawed,” said a senior official from a leading NGO operating in the region. “It will not reach the vast majority of those in need and risks making aid a tool of war rather than a lifeline.”

Reports suggest that the distribution points will be located mainly in southern Gaza. This will likely force many Palestinians—some of whom have already been displaced multiple times—to flee southward again. Following previous ceasefires, hundreds of thousands had returned to their destroyed homes in northern Gaza, only to face renewed bombardments and another wave of displacement.

Global Reactions Intensify

Following the news that trucks had finally entered Gaza, the governments of the United Kingdom, France, and Canada released a rare joint statement lambasting Israel’s military conduct and its blockade strategy. Calling the aid “wholly inadequate,” they demanded that Israel fully reopen humanitarian corridors and cease “egregious” new military operations. The statement also hinted at possible sanctions, signaling a significant shift in tone from countries that have traditionally supported Israel’s right to defend itself.

“We have always recognized Israel’s right to self-defense,” the statement read, “but its military escalation in Gaza is now disproportionate and in violation of international law.”

This joint declaration marked one of the most direct condemnations Israel has faced from Western allies since the war began. It also reflects growing concern among democratic governments that continued support for Israel could alienate domestic constituencies and undermine international law.

Canada, in particular, has already imposed sanctions over settler violence in the West Bank. France’s capacity to act unilaterally remains constrained by European Union rules, but the symbolic impact of the statement is substantial.

Adding to the pressure, foreign ministers from Germany, Italy, Japan, and 18 other nations issued a separate appeal urging Israel to fully reopen humanitarian access to Gaza under the supervision of the U.N. and independent NGOs. Notably absent from that group was the United States, which has supported Israel diplomatically and militarily throughout the conflict but is now showing signs of unease.

Although the Trump administration—now back in power following the 2024 election—has been vocally pro-Israel, both President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian conditions. Trump notably skipped a visit to Israel during a recent tour of the region, and Rubio has warned of reputational risks for the U.S. if the hunger crisis deepens.

Worsening Humanitarian Toll

Since the war’s onset on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages, the conflict has escalated into one of the region’s deadliest episodes in recent history.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 53,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes, with the majority being women and children. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, but independent observers estimate the civilian toll to be overwhelmingly high. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, and hospitals, schools, and refugee camps have been repeatedly targeted, raising further concerns about the legality of Israel’s military campaign.

The humanitarian toll has also been unprecedented in terms of displacement. Roughly 90% of Gaza’s population—more than 1.8 million people—has been forced from their homes, many of them multiple times. Makeshift shelters, tent camps, and overcrowded UN facilities are struggling to cope with the influx, with inadequate access to clean water, food, and sanitation.

As of this writing, Hamas still holds 58 hostages from the October 7 attack. Roughly one-third are believed to be alive. Negotiations for their release have stalled, with Hamas insisting on a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal in exchange for any further concessions. Israel has rejected these terms, and Netanyahu continues to insist that Israel must “take full control of all of Gaza” to prevent future threats.

While the entry of aid trucks marks a shift in Israel’s approach, the scale of suffering in Gaza remains immense. Without a sustained and large-scale resumption of humanitarian access—and a broader diplomatic resolution to the conflict—the international community warns that starvation, disease, and displacement could soon claim more lives than the war itself.