Israeli restrictions are causing a “severe and alarming” drop in the number of aid trucks entering Gaza, a Palestinian official warned on Tuesday.
Ismail al-Thawabta, director general of Gaza’s Government Media Office, said the restrictions were inflicting “catastrophic harm to civilians”.
He explained that since the ceasefire came into effect in October, Israel has allowed only 48,636 aid trucks into Gaza out of the 131,400 stipulated under the agreement, meaning more than 63 percent of humanitarian supplies have been blocked from entering the enclave.
The situation worsened in May, when the aid entry rate fell from 37 percent to just 25 percent. Only 2,719 trucks were allowed into Gaza out of the expected 10,800.
“This constitutes an extremely dangerous indicator reflecting the escalating policy of deliberately restricting and rationing humanitarian aid,” al-Thawabta said on X.
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He said the sharp decline in aid deliveries “confirms beyond any doubt that the occupation is pursuing a systematic policy of using food, medicine, and humanitarian aid as tools of pressure and political blackmail”.
He added that the restrictions violate international humanitarian law and are causing catastrophic suffering for civilians.
Al-Thawabta called on the international community to pressure Israel to comply with the ceasefire agreement, including by halting its attacks and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of aid into Gaza.
Under the agreement, Israel was required to lift restrictions and allow up to 600 aid trucks a day carrying food, fuel, medical supplies, shelter materials and commercial goods.
However, Gaza authorities say Israeli restrictions have kept the daily average at just over 200 trucks.
Resurgence of controversial aid model
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has opposed US demands to allow funds seized from Palestinian Authority (PA) tax revenues to be used to finance aid distribution in Gaza.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, sources said the far-right minister rejected any PA involvement in Gaza, even indirectly.
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The US proposal reportedly involves creating a humanitarian aid distribution system overseen by the Israeli military, similar to the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation initiative used last year.
Around 2,000 Palestinian aid seekers were reportedly killed by Israeli forces or crushed at GHF distribution sites, triggering international condemnation.
Under the latest proposal, aid distribution centres would be established near the so-called “Yellow Line” – a demarcation line unilaterally imposed by Israeli forces inside the Gaza Strip.
The line has since steadily expanded since the ceasefire began, leaving Israeli forces in control of over 60 percent of Gaza, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz.
The US-brokered ceasefire, agreed in October, was intended to end Israel’s two-year genocide in Gaza by halting attacks and allowing humanitarian aid into the territory.
However, Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, killing at least 880 Palestinians in near-daily shelling, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Overall, Israeli forces killed more than 72,770 Palestinians since October 2023. Thousands more remain missing and beneath the rubble.
