Only 73 aid trucks allowed into Gaza as famine expands, authorities say

Malaysian Reserve

6 hours ago

ISTANBUL — Local authorities in Gaza said on Sunday that only 73 aid trucks entered the besieged enclave in the last 24 hours, amid a deepening famine caused by Israel's months-long blockade, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
In a statement, the government media office said the humanitarian crisis has reached unprecedented levels, with at least 133 people, including 87 children, dying from hunger since the start of the Israeli genocidal war.
The office accused Israel of deliberately engineering chaos and hunger in the territory.
'The famine is expanding at an alarming rate and now affects the entire population of Gaza, including 1.1 million children,' the statement said.
While several governments and international organisations have announced plans to deliver hundreds of aid trucks to Gaza, the statement said that only 73 trucks have arrived, and many of those were looted or obstructed under Israeli surveillance.
The media office said three airdrops were carried out over Gaza, but their total payload was equivalent to only two aid trucks.
The drops landed in 'red zones' — active combat areas marked on Israeli maps — where civilians cannot safely retrieve supplies, it added.
'What is happening is a farce,' the office said, accusing the international community of complicity through 'false promises' and 'misleading information' coming from major powers like the United States (US).
It renewed its call for the unconditional reopening of border crossings and the immediate entry of food, water, and infant formula.
Palestinian authorities say that Gaza needs 600 aid trucks daily to meet the needs of the territory's 2.4 million population.
On Sunday, Israel announced plans for localised temporary pauses in fighting to allow aid deliveries through designated safe corridors after scores of Palestinians died of starvation in the blockaded enclave.
Jordan said early in the day that it had carried out three airdrops over Gaza in coordination with the United Arab Emirates.
Gaza's hunger crisis has spiralled into a humanitarian catastrophe. Harrowing footage shows severely emaciated residents, some reduced to skin and bone, collapsing from exhaustion, dehydration, and prolonged starvation.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years, and since March 2 has shut down all crossings, worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct 7, 2023, killing nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. — BERNAMA-ANADOLU