The United Nations has delivered humanitarian aid to Gaza for the first time in months, offering a glimmer of hope to residents facing severe famine risks. In a nighttime operation, UN organizations brought in about 90 truckloads of goods in preparation for distribution across the region.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that nearly 20 truckloads, carrying around 500 pallets of nutrition supplies, were safely offloaded at UNICEF’s warehouse in Deir al-Balah. The shipment included ready-to-use therapeutic food and nutritional supplements, which are being repackaged for delivery to numerous distribution points.
A few bakeries in southern and central Gaza, supported by the World Food Programme, have resumed bread production. These bakeries are now operational, distributing bread through community kitchens to help alleviate food shortages.
Despite these efforts, families in Gaza still face a high risk of famine after nearly 80 days of a total blockade on humanitarian assistance. OCHA emphasized that the recent shipment is limited and insufficient to meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.1 million people. Essential items like fresh food, hygiene products, water purification agents, and fuel for hospitals have not been allowed in for over 80 days.
OCHA called on Israeli authorities to facilitate the movement of humanitarian convoys throughout the Gaza Strip to ensure that supplies reach all people in need. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stressed the importance of resuming commercial trucking to supply markets with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Dujarric noted that nearly 500,000 people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation. The World Health Organization (WHO) also reported that Gaza’s health system is at a breaking point: only 19 of its 36 hospitals remain operational, with at least 94 percent damaged or destroyed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a “distribution zone” would be completed in the coming days, where food would be distributed in areas controlled by the Israeli military. “Ultimately, we intend to have large safe zones in the south of Gaza. The Palestinian population will move there for their own safety while we conduct combat in other zones and receive humanitarian aid there without Hamas interference,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.
Despite these developments, hostilities continue. Israeli military strikes reportedly killed at least 50 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday, according to health authorities in the enclave. While European countries condemned the resumption of Israeli strikes, former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed support for Netanyahu’s current objectives in the ongoing conflict.
“President Trump expressed support for the objectives set by Prime Minister Netanyahu: to secure the release of all our hostages, to eliminate Hamas, and to advance the Trump Plan,” stated the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
