In a long-awaited breakthrough, the first aid trucks have entered Gaza after nearly three months of a total blockade imposed by Israel. The United Nations confirmed the development on Monday, calling it a “welcome” step amid a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
According to COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for coordinating aid to Gaza, five trucks carrying essential humanitarian supplies—including baby food—crossed into the territory via the Kerem Shalom border point. The trucks mark the first authorized delivery of humanitarian assistance since Israel sealed off the region on March 2.
The UN welcomed the resumption of aid but warned that the limited scale of this delivery is far from sufficient to address the immense needs of Gaza’s population, which numbers over two million. The territory has been pushed to the brink by months of siege, repeated airstrikes, and widespread destruction of infrastructure.
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Pressure from international allies reportedly played a key role in Israel’s decision to allow the deliveries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged earlier on Monday that some of Israel’s closest partners had expressed concern over supporting continued military operations if images of widespread hunger and suffering began emerging from Gaza.
Despite this limited opening, Israel has also ramped up its military campaign across the Strip. A fresh wave of air and ground assaults has been launched, and the Israeli army has ordered a mass evacuation from Khan Younis—Gaza’s second-largest city. The city had already suffered extensive destruction in previous operations earlier in the conflict.
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On Sunday, Israeli officials announced they would permit a “basic” level of aid to flow into Gaza to stave off what they called an impending hunger crisis.
However, humanitarian organizations and regional experts warn that this minimal allowance is unlikely to prevent further deterioration. Some have sounded the alarm over the risk of famine if the blockade is not fully lifted and large-scale aid is not restored immediately.
As the conflict grinds on, the arrival of these first aid trucks offers only a faint glimmer of relief to Gaza’s civilian population. The broader humanitarian crisis remains severe, and without a significant scaling up of assistance, the suffering is expected to worsen.
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