The commencement of Eid al-Fitr, the three-day feast that marks Ramadan’s closing, was somewhat eclipsed by the ongoing conflict and increasing food shortages in Gaza on Wednesday. In anticipation of the feast, US President Joe Biden had urged Israel to step up food supply access to Gaza.
Responding to this, Israel revealed a record distribution of aid, with 322 trucks entering Gaza on Sunday, 419 on Monday, and 458 on Tuesday. These were significant spikes in daily aid deliveries since hostilities initiated in October. Meanwhile, Egyptian Red Crescent authorities confirmed a total of 258 aids trucks crossed into Gaza from Egypt on Sunday, and an additional 350 on the following day.
The United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, reported that 223 trucks had delivered aid on Monday. Their daily situation update expressed no substantial increase in the volume of humanitarian supplies into Gaza or better access to the Northern region. According to Unrwa commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, the influx of aid trucks into Gaza typically ranges between 150-180 per day, well below the 500 that were daily crossing pre-war.
Lazzarini also issued a warning of a burgeoning famine crisis in Gaza. He emphasised the necessity to inundate the area with aid. Highlighting the discrepancy in Israel’s count of aid trucks compared to aid organisations, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, clarified that Israel’s count usually includes trucks only partially filled during an initial screening process. This could potentially exclude 20-25 trucks daily, compared to those fully loaded entering Gaza.
Laerke additionally highlighted that food aid deliveries are more prone to obstruction or refusal than other humanitarian assistance, particularly towards the North, where 70% of the population is threatened with famine. Médecins Sans Frontières Palestinian mission leader, Leo Cans, further exemplified this discrepancy between Israeli declarations of inbound trucks and the ground reality.
Mr. Cans acknowledged Israel’s recent initiative to open the Erez crossing in the north for the conveyance of aid, yet expressed disappointment over the lack of tangible progress and inadequate aid transiting through Erez. As per Mr. Cans’s account, the northern sector of Gaza is suffering a double besiegement. He also lamented over the loss of five comrades since the onset of conflict.
Due to the prevalent uncertainty and disdain towards aid workers, Mr Cans voiced that delivering aid poses a significant challenge, even when it has successfully entered Gaza. Despite disagreements between Israel and aid organisations, Jake Sullivan, an advisor on national security for the United States, expressed approval for Israel’s withdrawal from the city of Khan Younis, stating it allows for increased circulation of humanitarian goods within Gaza at a crucial time when there is a dire humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, Israel refutes claims that it’s hindering aid distribution, insists that civilian supplies are unhindered, and ascribes the UN’s inefficiency as the cause for hold-ups and scarcities. They are yet to respond to criticisms regarding this matter.