Food aid convoys arrived in northern Gaza this week, according to Israeli authorities on Wednesday. This is the first significant supply to the beleaguered, remote region in a month, where the United Nations has issued a dire warning that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians may become more starved as a result of Israel's onslaught.
The growing concern about hunger in Gaza has led to global appeals for a truce, with efforts underway by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to broker an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the violence and free some of the hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 assault, as per AP News.
Mediators Seek Israel-Hamas Deal Before Ramadan
Mediators are trying to reach a deal between Israel and Hamas before Ramadan begins on March 10. However, public declarations show that the parties' demands remain separate.
Hostage families began a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem on Wednesday, increasing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a compromise. About 100 captives released during a late November cease-fire will march near Netanyahu's official house.
The captives' experience has deeply affected Israelis, reminding them of the state's apparent failure to protect them from Hamas. Israel says the Palestinian terrorist organization abducted 250 people, including men, women, children, and older adults, on October 7. Israel reports that 25% of the 130 prisoners are dead after the November releases.
Israel's post-attack Gaza assault to dismantle Hamas has killed around 29,900 Palestinians. If Israel targets Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population has fled, UN authorities worry about mass deaths. One such attack could damage the region's already weakened humanitarian operation, they warn, according to Politico.
Dire Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with over 576,000 people, constituting a quarter of the population, on the brink of famine, according to the UN. Northern Gaza, in particular, has been ravaged by hunger, as the region faces isolation and destruction since the Israeli ground incursion in late October.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are believed to be struggling to survive, resorting to consuming animal fodder. Shockingly, one in six children under two in the north is reported to suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting.
The Israeli military agency supervising Palestinian civilian affairs (COGAT) confirmed the entry of 31 food trucks into northern Gaza on Wednesday in order to improve the humanitarian situation. Since the UN denies involvement, it is unidentified who organized these shipments.
As of Sunday, the UN had encountered difficulties delivering food to northern Gaza since January 23, raising concerns about the worsening conditions. Despite international calls for increased aid, the volume of supply trucks entering has significantly declined in recent weeks. COGAT contends that Israel does not impose limits on aid entry, attributing the bottleneck to UN agencies and aid groups.
The Gaza Health Ministry estimates 29,954 deaths and 70,325 injuries during Israel's attack. The government does not separate civilians from combatants but reports that two-thirds of victims were children and women. Southern Israel was attacked by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists on October 7, killing 1,200 civilians, Arab News reported.
