Gaza Strip – Despite Israel allowing aid trucks to enter Gaza after an 11-week blockade, no humanitarian supplies have reached civilians on the ground, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
According to Israeli authorities, 93 trucks crossed into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing on Tuesday, carrying vital supplies such as flour, baby food, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals. However, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric reported that none of the aid had been distributed, as UN teams were denied access to collect and deliver the supplies.
Dujarric explained that the team waited “several hours” for clearance but was ultimately unable to transfer the aid into UN warehouses. “The arrival of supplies is a positive development,” he said, “but it’s a drop in the ocean of what’s needed.”
The complex logistics imposed by Israeli authorities—requiring the UN to offload supplies on the Palestinian side and reload them once internal access is secured—have further delayed efforts to reach Gaza’s vulnerable population. UN estimates indicate that at least 600 aid trucks per day are needed to address the humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, Gaza continues to endure deadly violence. The Hamas-run Civil Defence reported that 15 people, including a child, were killed in Israeli air strikes since midnight.
Global condemnation is intensifying. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the military escalation “morally unjustifiable” and announced the suspension of trade talks with Israel. The EU is also reviewing its trade agreement with the country, while leaders of the UK, France, and Canada have jointly urged Israel to halt military operations and allow unimpeded humanitarian access.
The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, warned that thousands of babies could die without immediate aid. Although initial reports cited a potential 14,000 child deaths within 48 hours, clarification from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) later stated that this figure refers to projected malnutrition cases over the next year.
Nevertheless, the need is urgent. “There are babies in life-threatening danger,” UNOCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke affirmed, highlighting the critical shortage of nutritional supplements and the inability of many mothers to feed their children.
Since the onset of the conflict on October 7, 2023—when a Hamas-led attack killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages—Israel’s retaliatory offensive has resulted in at least 53,475 deaths in Gaza, including over 3,300 since the latest escalation, according to the territory’s health ministry.