According to the UN's agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), Israel has consistently denied aid convoys to northern Gaza, exacerbating food shortages in the region. The situation is particularly dire in northern Gaza, where Israel focused its military offensive at the onset of the conflict.
UNRWA's report revealed that Israeli authorities vetoed 27 out of 81 aid missions requiring coordination in both the northern and southern parts of the strip between April 1 and April 19. The last delivery of food supplies to the area was on January 23.
While Israeli agencies claim to be cooperating with various humanitarian organizations in the north, the flow of aid remains restricted. Since the beginning of April, an average of 186 aid trucks have entered Gaza daily through the Kerem Shalom and Rafah land crossings, a significant decrease from pre-war levels.
Despite these efforts, human rights agencies have raised concerns about the limited relief reaching Gaza due to Israel's stringent restrictions on aid shipments. UNRWA noted that there has been minimal improvement in the volume of humanitarian supplies entering Gaza or enhanced access to the northern region.
Israeli agencies have shifted blame onto the United Nations, alleging that aid distribution within Gaza has been inefficient. They claimed that hundreds of aid trucks were stalled at the Kerem Shalom crossing, further hindering the delivery of essential supplies to the Palestinian enclave.
