A senior United Nations agency has accused Israel of deliberately blocking life-saving supplies from reaching Gaza, warning that entire warehouses packed with food and medicines remain stuck outside the territory while families inside face famine.
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which coordinates humanitarian assistance for Palestinians, said thousands of truckloads of aid are being held up at border crossings. “We have warehouses full of food, medicines and hygiene supplies waiting to be allowed in,” the agency said in a statement. “This is not a shortage of aid — it is a shortage of access. Israel must allow us to bring this assistance into Gaza immediately.”
Famine Officially Declared
The warning comes just days after the UN’s global hunger monitoring body officially declared a famine in Gaza City — the first such declaration in the region in decades. According to the report, more than 500,000 people are already enduring famine conditions, with that number expected to climb past 640,000 by the end of September if current restrictions continue.
Humanitarian experts stress the situation is “man-made and entirely preventable.” The declaration adds to growing pressure on Israel, which stands accused of using aid restrictions as a weapon of war.
Aid Stuck, People Starving
Despite the mounting crisis, deliveries into Gaza remain sporadic. Dozens of international aid groups, including Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières, say they have supplies ready but cannot get permission to move them. Convoys that do enter often struggle to distribute food safely — many are looted in chaotic scenes, sometimes ending with Israeli forces firing warning shots or live ammunition to disperse crowds.
A recent incident saw nearly all of a 47-truck World Food Programme convoy looted shortly after entering northern Gaza. According to aid workers, such losses have become routine. Some estimates suggest up to 95% of shipments are seized before they reach distribution points, leaving little for the most vulnerable.
Israel Denies Responsibility
Israel has pushed back strongly against the accusations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the famine declaration as “politically motivated” and said Israel facilitates daily aid deliveries through approved channels. Officials insist that restrictions are necessary to stop supplies from falling into the hands of Hamas.
“The world must understand that Hamas exploits humanitarian aid for its own purposes,” an Israeli government spokesperson said. “We are allowing hundreds of trucks into Gaza each day, but security must come first.”
International observers and UN agencies, however, dispute Israel’s claims. They argue the level of obstruction far outweighs security concerns, and that the scale of hunger in Gaza cannot be explained by looting or mismanagement alone.
Growing Global Alarm
The crisis has drawn urgent warnings from aid groups, human rights organizations, and world leaders. Many say the deliberate blocking of food and medical supplies could amount to violations of international humanitarian law.
“The famine in Gaza is not inevitable,” one senior UN official said. “There is food, there is medicine, there are trucks waiting. What is missing is political will.”
For the more than two million people trapped inside Gaza, that missing will is translating into empty shelves, malnourished children, and families forced to survive on weeds and animal feed. Unless access is granted soon, aid workers warn, the famine will deepen — with consequences that could haunt the region for generations.
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