Israel Threatens Further Restrictions on Gaza Aid Amid Famine Warnings

Israel has announced plans to implement further restrictions on aid deliveries to Gaza, a move that has raised significant concern among international aid organizations. These organizations warn that such measures could exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in the region.

The Israeli military has issued directives for residents of Gaza City to relocate southward, cautioning that those who remain risk being killed. However, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other aid groups have highlighted the lack of safety, food, water, and shelter in the areas designated for evacuation. They describe the evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of civilians as "incomprehensible."

After nearly two years of conflict, the health care system in Gaza has collapsed, with a sharp increase in the number of injured, ill, and malnourished individuals. A recent report from a prominent U.N.-backed global panel on hunger declared that conditions in Gaza City and the northern regions have reached famine levels. The report warns that famine could spread to central and southern Gaza by the end of the month if no action is taken.

Aid organizations report that Israel continues to impose strict limitations on the entry of food and medical supplies into Gaza. Amande Bazerolle, Gaza emergency director for Doctors Without Borders, stated, "Not only is there not enough aid entering, but there's more and more people who are wounded and sick and suffering from malnutrition." She added that the number of patients is increasing exponentially.

This week, Israel announced a halt to all aid deliveries to Gaza City as it intensifies its military operations against Hamas. Bazerolle noted that an Israeli attack in July on a warehouse belonging to the U.N.'s World Health Organization in Gaza further depleted essential medical supplies. The WHO reported the loss of most of its stock in the strike, including surgical and trauma supplies, medications, and treatments for malnourished children. Israel stated at the time that the strike was in response to a militant threat, though no evidence was provided.

The looming threat includes Israel's demand that aid organizations operating in Gaza re-register under new regulations. These rules require the provision of personal data on all local and international staff and their families—a requirement most organizations have rejected. Non-compliance by the September 9 deadline could result in the shutdown of these organizations. The WHO emphasized that if the lifesaving support of NGOs and emergency medical teams is compromised, health care services will be severely reduced, putting more lives at risk.

Israel has accused NGOs that refuse to provide staff details of potential ties to Hamas. In July, Israel rejected requests by 29 NGOs it deemed unauthorized to send humanitarian supplies to Gaza, preventing the delivery of lifesaving aid. The WHO stated that this move had the greatest impact on women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Israel argues that the restrictions aim to prevent Hamas from seizing food and medicine. However, aid groups and an internal U.S. government assessment have found no evidence of widespread looting by the group. Aid organizations assert that increasing aid to Gaza is essential to prevent further preventable deaths and would also reduce the black market sale of aid, as food prices would decrease substantially.

Cindy McCain, head of the U.N.'s World Food Program, called on Israel to allow the WFP to restart its 200 food distribution points across the Gaza Strip, along with community kitchens and bakeries. She emphasized the urgent need for a consistent flow of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

In Jordan, a major aid corridor to Gaza, officials report that Israel has made it more difficult to send aid convoys. Jordanian Communications Minister Mohammad Al-Momani stated that Israel has recently begun imposing customs fees of between $300 and $400 per truck for aid transiting through Israel to Gaza. He also noted that Israeli settlers have attacked aid convoys, throwing rocks and placing sharp objects under the wheels of the trucks.

Bazerolle highlighted the increased difficulty and cost of getting aid into Gaza due to these restrictions. She mentioned that Israel has also begun requiring NGO aid convoys on the main route to Gaza to use Israeli military escorts, a requirement rejected by most groups. As a result, many aid shipments are stuck in Jordan, with organizations considering alternative routes to deliver aid.

Additionally, aid groups report challenges in bringing in essential medical equipment and supplies due to an opaque list of items that Israel deems as having the potential to be used by militants. This list often includes items with metal components, such as tent poles or wheelchairs. Bazerolle noted that her organization is struggling to bring in operating tables, external fixators for setting bones, autoclaves, sterilization supplies, and water desalination equipment.