On July 27th, Israel announced it would begin instituting 10-hour pauses in fighting to allow aid convoys to enter the Gaza Strip. In a statement, Netanyahu asserted, “whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies.” Aid trucks from the U.N., the International Rescue Committee (I.R.C.), and other international aid organizations were permitted to begin entering highly populated areas of the Gaza Strip, which have been in dire need of food, clean water, and other essential items. This announcement came after relentless international condemnation of the Netanyahu administration’s inaction on the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza that commenced following the start of hostilities on October 7, 2023.

After Israel began a blockade around Gaza this year to pressure Hamas to release more hostages, the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel failed, and the Palestinian population began suffering the brunt of these decisions. The full blockade began a period in which crucial aid began being restricted to the struggling population. In May, in an attempt to quell international backlash, Israel began allowing more aid into the region and additionally supported the opening of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (G.H.F.). The G.H.F has since been involved in controversy regarding the killings of many Palestinian civilians who have attempted to retrieve G.H.F. aid. Israel continues to deny its involvement despite what local hospitals have reported to news agencies. The government has placed more reliance on G.H.F. after claiming that the previous U.N.-backed system was diverting aid to Hamas, though there remains no solid evidence that backs up this belief.

Since Israel’s recent announcement that it would institute pauses to allow more aid, a little more than a hundred trucks per day have been allowed to enter the region, a number criticized by aid agencies for being insufficient. These efforts are far too late and hardly enough to make a significant impact. U.N. agencies have recommended that a minimum of 500 trucks per day should be allowed to enter the region in order to help feed the large, malnourished population. The current number of trucks is under half the amount currently being provided. Israel has also airdropped aid, but airdrops as a method of aid delivery have also been criticized as dangerous since these shipments could potentially land either on civilians or in areas inaccessible to them. The amount of supplies deliverable by airdrop is additionally overall sparse compared to the amount of aid that can be delivered by truck.

According to NBC News, health experts and advocates are warning that even with aid, the effects of malnourishment on much of the population will be permanent, especially for children. Even if sufficient aid is provided, experts warn that many individuals have already crossed a threshold beyond which the long-term effects of malnutrition will persist for the rest of their lives. Young children who are going through important developmental phases in their lives will be severely impacted by the lack of essential nutrients they need to grow. Deaths from hunger and starvation are also on the rise in the region. The “window to prevent mass death is rapidly closing, and for many it’s already too late,” says a senior director of the I.R.C. These experts have warned that if aid organizations are not able to deliver more aid at a higher capacity, famine will soon take hold. There have already been multiple deaths in Gaza related to starvation and malnutrition alone. According to the World Health Organization, 63 of the 74 malnutrition-related deaths in 2025 occurred in July. This statistic means that a large proportion of civilians are dying at a higher rate than ever before.

With the sheer amount of suffering, the Israeli government’s recent actions to allow a minuscule amount of aid into Gaza are overall ineffective and performative. The images of the malnourished Palestinian population that have caused international outrage have made those in power in Israel realize that if they do not do something about the crisis in their hands, countries will begin to take harsh retaliation against them. In this sense, the state of Israel cares more for its international image than for the people that it has been causing harm to for so long. If the government had really wanted to prevent mass starvation, it could have done so long before things became so critical. There are also many claims that Palestinians seeking aid have been shot dead while trying to retrieve aid from G.H.F., the Israeli-backed humanitarian organization. Shooting civilians seeking aid does not help prove that Israel cares about those in the region. The overall diversion of aid and harm towards civilians is callous and cannot be swept under the rug.

To prevent further escalation of this alarming situation, Israel would need to begin allowing aid without restrictions or limits of any kind, meaning that a ceasefire would need to be imminent. According to the U.N.’s World Food Program, a ceasefire is the only way that a safe passage for humanitarian aid can be guaranteed. For such a feat to take place, an agreement between Hamas and Israel is crucial. While efforts from both Hamas and Israel are necessary to stop this man-made crisis and aid those suffering, Israel’s role in this matter is clear and must not be understated. Instead of preventing aid agencies from entering the area, the Israeli government must instead begin doing its part to curtail famine by helping aid agencies reach every corner of the Gaza Strip.