The World Food Programme (WFP) reported chaotic scenes as desperate civilians in Gaza swarmed aid trucks carrying flour. The trucks, which entered Gaza overnight, were stopped and stripped of their contents by hungry individuals unable to wait for organized distribution.
WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa explained that, given the high likelihood that convoys wouldn’t reach their intended warehouses, aid workers allowed people to take the food directly. Despite efforts to manage distribution by limiting individuals to one bag each, the overwhelming desperation rendered orderly allocation impossible.
Limited Aid, Rising Famine Risk, and Growing Tensions Between Israel, UN, and Aid Efforts
Although Israel eased its 11-week blockade on May 19, only a fraction of the required aid has reached Gaza. The UN estimates that current deliveries meet just over 10% of the population’s needs. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Palestinian relief agency, criticized the minimal aid, calling it a “mockery” in the face of mass suffering.
WFP’s Abeer Etefa said the organization has been distributing trucks, but not at the necessary scale to stabilize the situation. With Gaza’s entire population at risk of famine, two million people are reportedly in desperate need of food.
Desperate Crowds Strip Gaza Aid Trucks as Famine Looms and Tensions EscalateDisputes between Israel and the UN have further complicated aid efforts. While Israel accuses the UN of failing to collect and distribute aid already inside Gaza, UN officials cite multiple challenges, including unsafe routes, delays in movement approvals, and unmanageable crowds.
In parallel, a US and Israel-supported initiative called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has begun food distributions, reportedly handing out two million meals. However, the UN has distanced itself from this initiative, citing contradictions with humanitarian principles. Independent verification of the foundation’s claims remains pending.
Ongoing Airstrikes and Blocked Diplomacy Deepen Gaza’s Crisis Amid Peace Efforts Resistance
Amid the humanitarian crisis, Israeli airstrikes have continued across Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry reported 60 deaths within a single day, while the last hospital in North Gaza recently closed following evacuation orders.
Medical professionals in southern Gaza, such as Greek surgeon Christos Georgalas, described dire conditions, treating mostly malnourished children with shrapnel injuries. He noted a severe lack of food and resources for both patients and medical staff, some of whom live in tents and have gone unpaid for a year, enduring starvation while continuing to work.
Efforts to revive the peace process have encountered resistance as well. Four Arab nations—Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia—planned a diplomatic visit to the West Bank to support Palestinian leadership, but Israel blocked the trip. An Israeli official claimed the meeting aimed to promote a Palestinian state, a proposition the current Israeli government rejects.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and France are co-hosting an international conference to push for a two-state solution. The broader conflict traces back to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which led to a devastating Israeli military response that has since killed over 54,000 people in Gaza.