Assistance: Aid Remains Untapped in Gaza, Corresponding to a Rise in Malnutrition Rates
In the heart of the Middle East, the sliver of land known as Gaza is grappling with a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions. The situation has been marked by severe constraints and significant challenges, largely caused by Israeli policies and military actions.
Israel has kept a tight rein on the flow of humanitarian aid, imposing restrictions that have resulted in severe shortages and suffering in Gaza. As of mid-June 2025, 852 aid trucks belonging to UN and international organisations remained stuck in Al-Arish, Egypt, awaiting Israeli permits to enter Gaza. This blockade has prevented most food supplies and critical items from reaching those in need[1].
The limited aid that has been allowed to enter Gaza has mostly been distributed via a militarized scheme called the Gaza Humanitarian Framework (GHF), which is criticized as inhumane and part of a strategy to control and starve the population. Israel has also targeted or blocked access to Gaza's agricultural infrastructure, contributing further to food scarcity and starvation risks[1].
Since early March 2025, essential supplies such as fuel and cooking gas have not been allowed into Gaza by Israel, undermining electricity production needed for medical equipment and basic living. Despite these hardships, Israel maintains that there is no famine in Gaza[1].
Aid groups claim that getting aid trucks to the border is the easy part, but distribution is caught up in Israel's refusal to guarantee safe passage. Before the current crisis, Gaza required 500 trucks of aid daily[1]. The UN and aid organisations are aghast at the situation in Gaza, with the UN describing the hunger crisis as a "horror show"[1].
Israeli policies have led to widespread malnutrition among the over two million people living in Gaza. Reports suggest that around 1,000 people have died at or near GHF sites or trying to get food since the end of May, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry[1].
The Israeli and American-backed GHF aid sites are mainly in the south of Gaza, and Israel is accused of trying to drive people southwards, leaving the north of Gaza uninhabitable[2]. Israel maintains that it is not responsible for the current situation, alleging that Hamas diverts aid for military purposes, although no conclusive evidence has been provided publicly[2].
There are also reports of Israel intercepting aid ships attempting to enter Gaza's waters—for example, Israel seized a ship called Madleen in June 2025, preventing it from delivering aid[2]. In late July 2025, Israel initiated a "tactical pause" in fighting in certain Gaza areas to allow UN agencies and others to deliver humanitarian aid. Aid trucks from Egypt and Jordan have started heading into Gaza during these pauses, and Israel carried out air-drops of aid parcels including flour, sugar, and canned food[2].
The Palestinian truck drivers face vetting and the risk of hijacking by desperate Gazans. The UN states that Gaza needs 500 trucks of aid to be distributed daily[1]. Israel controls all the borders with Gaza, making it the central and controversial figure in the breakdown and severe limitation of aid distribution into Gaza.
While some temporary pauses and limited aid deliveries occur, the overall situation points to a blockade imposing conditions that have caused widespread starvation and hardship, leading to allegations from human rights groups that these policies amount to a form of collective punishment or even genocide through starvation[1][2].
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The Israeli blockade of Gaza, aided by its strict control over the borders, has catalyzed a drastic decrease in health-and-wellness within the region, resulting in increased rates of malnutrition among the two million residents. This prolonged conflict, marked by Israel's prevention of essential items and food supplies from entering Gaza, has led to a significant science-related concern: the potential for a health catastrophe due to lack of nutrition. However, Israel continues to deny the existence of a famine situation within the region.
