Under international pressure, Israel is gradually loosening its months-long blockade on Gaza, and humanitarian aid is slowly trickling through into this besieged enclave. Residents and aid workers say it has not come close to meeting residents’ immediate needs – calling recent deliveries “drops in the ocean”.
This week, BBC journalists gained unprecedented access to several aid distribution points within Gaza, documenting firsthand accounts of suffering and resilience from those at these distribution points. Families waiting in line told reporters that while basic supplies such as food, water, and medicine have begun arriving gradually but quantities remain significantly inadequate.
Amal Hassan, 39 years old and mother of five who was affected by an Israeli airstrike and lost her home, expressed disappointment with any help offered so far; one box of canned food cannot feed an entire family for one week and children continue to go to bed hungry each night.
Israel announced last week that they would permit more humanitarian aid into Gaza in response to appeals by the UN, EU, and US. This decision came amid rising scrutiny of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas that began last April after deadly hostilities escalated further.
Israeli officials maintain that their blockade was necessary to thwart Hamas from exploiting aid deliveries as an avenue to transport weapons for war purposes, while critics argue it has caused severe civilian harm and has worsened humanitarian crises.
Under these new measures, Israel has reopened Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings to permit limited convoys of aid trucks including UN-coordinated deliveries of food, fuel and medical supplies; however aid organizations still report bureaucratic delays and logistical challenges preventing critical supplies from reaching Gaza.
“The amount of aid arriving is nowhere near what’s needed,” according to Thomas White, Director of UNRWA Operations in Gaza. “To meet even basic needs for humanitarian purposes, hundreds of trucks would need to arrive every day – right now, only 100 have so far.”
Hospitals remain overcrowded and under-equipped, while water purification systems and electricity grids remain in ruins. According to the World Health Organization, over 60% of Gaza’s health facilities have been damaged or destroyed.
Mohammad Al-Qudra, a displaced teacher currently residing in Khan Younis and living out of a makeshift tent, finds survival a daily struggle. “The nights are cold, our children sick and there are no toilets or clean water – this is no way of life!” He recently told BBC: “We need more from the world than words of condolence!”
International donors have pledged more assistance, yet distribution remains difficult due to ongoing security threats and infrastructure collapse.
Even with some loosening of the blockade, Gazans believe true relief will only come when sustained aid can enter and long-term political solutions are pursued.
“Aid helps us breathe, but we are still drowning,” stated Amal Hassan. The war has taken everything they had left – more than boxes; they need dignity, safety and hope for their futures.