After days of delay, the first supplies of aid have been delivered to designated locations in Gaza. Aid organizations have received the goods, which include ninety trucks carrying flour, baby food, medicine, and fuel.
Israel had blocked all humanitarian aid for nearly three months but, under significant international pressure, granted permission last Monday to allow goods directly into the area. The transport, however, was delayed for several more days.
The goods were inspected at the Kerem Shalom border crossing and then transferred to other trucks. The delivery was further delayed because the route designated by Israel was deemed too dangerous by the UN. "We had to drive through an overcrowded area, which we consider unsafe. There was also a real risk of looting due to the hardships in Gaza," a spokesperson said.
The aid delivered today is intended to reach Gazans as quickly as possible.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the West Bank reported that 29 people, including children and the elderly, have died from hunger in recent days. UNICEF warned this week that thousands of babies, children, and young people are at acute risk due to malnutrition, collapsing healthcare, and a lack of specialized care for premature babies. The UN Population Fund also reported thousands of miscarriages among pregnant women in the first four months of this year, partly due to malnutrition.
The UN emphasized that ninety trucks are far from sufficient. During the ceasefire earlier this year, six hundred aid trucks entered Gaza daily.
Overnight and this morning, Israeli attacks across Gaza killed dozens more people.