Criticism due to small quantities: Israel allows trucks with aid supplies into the Gaza Strip for the first time

After more than a year and a half of war, the need in the Gaza Strip is enormous. For the first time in a long time, humanitarian aid is reaching its destination, but the UN describes the deliveries as "a drop in the ocean." The situation remains tense due to ongoing fighting and civilian casualties.

In light of the actions of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing plight of the civilian population, international pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is growing. According to an Israeli official, humanitarian aid has reached the sealed-off coastal area for the first time in almost three months – but only in minimal quantities. At the same time, Israel's new military offensive continues. The heads of state and government of France, Great Britain, and Canada spoke of a "completely disproportionate" escalation and issued a warning to Netanyahu's government.

"If Israel does not stop its renewed military offensive and lift restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will respond with further concrete measures," said French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney.

Netanyahu countered that Israel would not abandon its war aims and would "continue to defend itself by just means until complete victory is achieved." Netanyahu explained what this meant on Monday: "We will take control of all areas of the Gaza Strip." He envisioned Israeli soldiers remaining stationed in Gaza. Netanyahu wants to see the Islamist organization Hamas completely destroyed.

Whereabouts of four trucks unclear

According to Cogat, the Israeli agency responsible for Palestinian affairs, five trucks carrying humanitarian aid reached the densely populated coastal area via the Kerem Shalom border crossing on Monday. Israel says this is intended to ensure basic supplies and prevent famine in the largely devastated Gaza Strip, where around two million Palestinians lack virtually everything after more than a year and a half of war.

From the perspective of the UN and aid organizations, however, these deliveries are far from sufficient. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said that the approval of a resumption of "limited" aid from Israel was a "welcome development" that must continue. "But this is just a drop in the ocean compared to what is urgently needed."

According to the UN, a total of nine trucks had received permission from the Israeli authorities to enter Gaza. Since the Cogat authority referred to five trucks, it was initially unclear why the other trucks named by the UN did not enter Gaza.

Federal Government appeals to Israel

Before the Gaza war began in October 2023, around 500 trucks transported goods to the coastal region daily. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric emphasized that aid deliveries remained insufficient and that hundreds of trucks were needed. "Of course, nine trucks are better than no trucks, but we need a massive increase in humanitarian aid; we need a massive influx of food, cooking oil, and fuel to meet these needs."

In a joint appeal to Israel, the foreign ministers of Germany and around 20 other donor countries called for significantly increased aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip. "Allow the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to work independently and impartially to save lives, alleviate suffering, and preserve dignity," reads the letter published by the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin.

Almost three-month blockade ended

Since the beginning of March, Israel had stopped allowing aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu's government cited Hamas as its reason for this, arguing that Hamas was profitably reselling the aid to pay terrorists and weapons for their fight against the Jewish state. On Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office then surprisingly announced that it would allow aid deliveries to the territory again.

According to media reports, relief supplies such as flour, baby food, and fuel will now initially be delivered to the sealed-off coastal strip with the help of international organizations, as before, until a new distribution mechanism is implemented at the end of the month. After that, the supplies will only be distributed from a few locations in the Gaza Strip. The UN views this planned mechanism with skepticism, among other things because civilians could be caught in the crossfire on their way to distribution centers, and the journey there could pose an insurmountable obstacle for the elderly and sick.

Dozens of deaths reported in Gaza

Meanwhile, fighting in the Gaza Strip continues unabated in the wake of the new major Israeli offensive. Heavy airstrikes have been ongoing for days, and Palestinian authorities on the ground report dozens of deaths every day – although their figures are difficult to independently verify. Ground troops are now also deployed.

The new offensive is plunging the population, already living under catastrophic conditions, into even greater fear for their existence and their lives. Many people fear being displaced—sometimes repeatedly. The cities of Khan Yunis and Gaza are currently particularly affected by the new offensive.