Sign in Subscribe
Arab-Israeli conflicts

Israel's Blockade of Gaza: A Humanitarian Crisis in the Making

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As Israel's military operations continue in parts of Gaza, the international community is sounding the alarm over the dire humanitarian situation unfolding in the Palestinian enclave. Twenty-one months into the conflict, aid agencies are warning of "mass starvation" as the flow of humanitarian aid has drastically decreased. Before the war, 500 aid trucks entered Gaza daily, but now an average of only 28 trucks enter the strip per day.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Israeli government's blockade of Gaza has significantly reduced the flow of humanitarian aid, with 80 per cent of the population relying on aid before the war.
  • Entire consignments of aid are being rejected by Israeli authorities if one item is considered "dual-use" and potentially dangerous, leading to delays and denials.
  • Aid organisations, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and MSF, are still delivering vital services in Gaza, but fuel and other supplies are nearly gone.
  • The siege imposed by Israeli authorities has prevented aid agencies from scaling up or sustaining relief efforts.
  • Around 120,000 metric tonnes of food are sitting in warehouses outside Gaza, waiting for clearance.
  • Over 6,000 trucks loaded with supplies are stuck in Egypt and Jordan, awaiting Israeli clearance.
  • Total stockpiles outside Gaza amount to 240,000 metric tonnes.
  • The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private firm using private military security contractors, claims to have delivered 86 million meals, but Oxfam rejects this, stating that it does not need "military or profit-driven intermediaries overriding principled aid delivery".
  • A new report by B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, accuses the Israeli government of working to destroy Palestinian society in Gaza.

Statistics:

  • 80 per cent of Gaza's population relied on aid before the war.
  • 500 aid trucks entered Gaza daily before October 2023.
  • 28 trucks now enter Gaza on average each day.
  • 1 aid truck can fit almost 19 tons of food aid.
  • 120,000 metric tonnes of food are sitting in warehouses outside Gaza.
  • 6,000 trucks loaded with supplies are stuck in Egypt and Jordan.
  • 240,000 metric tonnes of total stockpiles outside Gaza.

Sources:

  • "Israel's blockade of Gaza is a recipe for disaster" by Nour Shawaf, Oxfam (no date mentioned)
  • Report by B'Tselem, "Israel is working to destroy Palestinian society in Gaza" (no date mentioned)
  • Amnesty International, "Gaza: aid blockade intensifies, 'still not enough'" (no date mentioned)
  • World Food Program, "Aid truck capacity" (no date mentioned)
  • ABC News, "Gaza's aid crisis: 'We do not need, and will not accept, military or profit-driven intermediaries'" (no date mentioned)
  • Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, "Deliberate and systematic destruction of Gaza's healthcare system" (no date mentioned)

Read more