Gaza: Shattered Hope & Starving People 💔🇵🇸

World News

More than a month and a half has passed since the ceasefire agreement was reached in Gaza. As stipulated in the deal, 600 trucks were intended to cross into the Strip daily, delivering essential supplies such as food, medicine, tents, and fuel. We have become accustomed to hearing official statements reporting hundreds of trucks crossing the border each day. Photos of these crossings are released, meticulously documented, and accompanied by celebratory announcements. According to a November 26 update from the Israeli occupation authorities, “4,200 trucks carrying humanitarian goods are entering Gaza weekly,” representing 70% of the cargo as food, and totaling over 16,600 trucks of food—exceeding 370,000 tons—that have entered since the ceasefire began. However, questions remain regarding the accuracy of these figures. Many commercial trucks, carrying low-nutritional food items like chocolate bars and biscuits, or prohibitively expensive goods—such as frozen chicken at $25 per kilogram or trays of eggs at $30—are also included in the count. Humanitarian organizations share these concerns, with the World Food Programme reporting that only half of the required food aid is reaching Gaza. Palestinian relief agencies estimate that only a quarter of the necessary aid actually makes its way to the displaced, impoverished, injured, and hungry populations.

The issue lies in much of the aid reaching Gaza disappearing into what observers describe as a “Bermuda triangle.” Despite appearing short on maps, the distance between the border and the displacement camps – where aid should be distributed – represents the longest logistical and security barrier. Numerous trucks pass through, yet fail to deliver supplies to the families who require them most. Residents report hearing about truck arrivals, only to find no humanitarian packages. They frequently describe witnessing trucks entering the Strip, yet never seeing them reach their camps or neighborhoods. This creates a pervasive sense that aid vanishes without a trace.

Recently, concerns regarding missing aid have intensified, particularly as basic food items have unexpectedly appeared in local markets, still bearing the labels "Humanitarian Aid Not for Sale." I have personally witnessed cans of chicken meat being sold for $15 apiece with these labels affixed. Moreover, even when aid parcels do arrive, they are often incomplete. For example, my family received a food parcel intended to contain rice, lentils, and six bottles of cooking oil, but upon opening it, we discovered only three bottles of cooking oil. Contributing to the problem is the absence of a unified authority capable of maintaining public order and security within Gaza, as highlighted by the UN’s aid monitoring mechanism. Between May 19 and November 29, 8,035 aid trucks successfully reached their destinations inside Gaza, while 7,127 were held up.

The Israeli army frequently imposes restrictions on truck routes, often forcing drivers to navigate dangerous and congested roads that require coordination with powerful local families or neighborhood committees – or, in some instances, are controlled by armed groups. This process transforms what should be a relatively short journey, of a few dozen kilometers, into a highly vulnerable undertaking, easily disrupted. Consequently, aid destined for Gaza appears to vanish within the territory’s notorious “Bermuda triangle.” International organizations are similarly hampered, unable to effectively enforce security. Due to the inherent risks, they cannot accompany trucks or supervise unloading in real-time, and their reliance on local committees and volunteers creates a system riddled with vulnerabilities that various parties readily exploit. Amidst these challenges, a fundamental question persists: who truly benefits from the disappearance of aid? Merchants seek quick profits, local armed groups pursue a source of income, and, undeniably, the occupying forces and their allies continue to leverage Palestinian suffering as a tool of political pressure.