Aid Delivered to Citizens in Gaza, as Accounted by Witnesses - Witnesses confirm arrival of medical aid in Gaza
In a significant humanitarian relief effort, aid supplies have finally reached residents in the Gaza Strip, following a nearly three-month blockade by Israel. According to Jihad Islim, the vice president of the Association of Private Truck Owners in Gaza, 87 trucks loaded with essential goods, including flour, food, and medical supplies, entered the coastal region overnight on Wednesday. The trucks headed towards the towns of Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
A United Nations spokesperson confirmed the arrival of around 90 trucks containing humanitarian aid. Initial reports suggest that some bakeries in these towns started baking bread with the received flour and distributing it to the local residents at dawn.
While this aid delivery is a welcomed relief, local and international aid workers have emphasized that the current shipment falls far short of meeting the region's needs. According to earlier UN estimates, about 500 truckloads of supplies are needed daily to cater to the approximately two million Palestinians in Gaza.
However, it’s important to note that no aid has reached the northern Gaza region yet, according to Amjad Shawa, the director of the Palestinian NGO Network in Gaza. The need in this area is particularly significant, as the trucks that have arrived so far would only satisfy a small fraction of the region’s basic necessities.
Israel had justified its blockade by alleging that Hamas would steal the aid supplies and sell them on the black market to fund their fighters and weapons. However, the UN has maintained that Israel has failed to provide any evidence supporting this claim.
In a recent development, Israel lifted the blockade on Sunday, although some trucks that were allowed to enter the sealed-off coastal region subsequently stood for days within Gaza due to concerns about safety proposed routes by the UN.
The ongoing challenges in aid delivery are underscored by the fact that out of 58 planned aid movements coordinated with Israeli authorities across Gaza, 36 were denied during the week of May 14 to 20, 2025. The efforts to improve aid distribution across Gaza include the construction of three large aid distribution sites in southern Gaza as part of a new U.S.-backed plan. These sites aim to prevent Hamas from controlling the aid, with American companies operating them and the Israeli Defense Forces providing security.
To ensure accountability and protect against abuse, mechanisms like the SAWA toll-free number for reporting wrongdoing are in place. As the situation evolves, these initiatives should help safeguard the dignity and respect of all those involved in the humanitarian response in Gaza.
The relief effort includes not only essential goods, but also provisions for health-and-wellness, as per the United Nations' specified humanitarian aid requirements. On the other hand, the community policy and the employment policy must address the long-term needs of the Gaza Strip population, ensuring steady jobs for aid workers and sustainability in the delivery of aid, as well as adherence to international labor standards and ethical practices in the distribution of supplies.
