For many Gaza residents, Israel's aid blockade is 'worse than bombs'

UN has condemned Israel’s decision, calling for 'immediate' resumption of aid deliveries

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For the second consecutive day, Israel has blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, deepening the crisis in the already devastated enclave.

The move came after a six-week truce that briefly allowed essential food and medical supplies to reach the besieged population. However, with negotiations to extend the ceasefire at an impasse, humanitarian groups warn that the situation is deteriorating rapidly. For many Palestinians, this latest move is just the latest chapter in a prolonged crisis.

Salama Marouf, head of the Government Media Office in Gaza, denounced Israel’s actions in strong terms. "The occupation’s announcement of halting aid is yet another blatant confirmation of its failure to honour its commitments and its utter disregard for its obligations," Mr Marouf told The National.

"With these measures, the occupation authorities continue their systematic policy of starvation, using hunger as a weapon against Palestinians in Gaza. This is a direct violation of all international laws, treaties, and human rights conventions."

Denying them access to food and medicine is a death sentence

Salama Marouf,
head of the Government Media Office

Mr Marouf warned that blocking aid constitutes an act of war against civilians. "The war of starvation is even more dangerous than the war of bombs," he said. "The people of Gaza rely entirely on humanitarian aid to survive. Denying them access to food and medicine is a death sentence."

He urged the international community to intervene before the situation worsens. "The world cannot remain silent in the face of these violations. We urge immediate pressure on the occupation to resume aid deliveries. The people of Gaza are already suffering beyond measure – most of them displaced, living in tents or shelters unfit for human habitation."

The United Nations has condemned Israel’s decision, calling for the "immediate" resumption of aid deliveries to prevent further suffering among Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, most of whom are displaced and living in dire conditions.

Israel is playing games with us, using aid as a tool for blackmail

Ribhi Suleiman,
Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood resident

The closure of border crossings has left thousands of lorries carrying food, medicine, and fuel stranded outside Gaza. The blockade has reignited fears of famine, with aid agencies warning that without immediate intervention, starvation will claim more lives. For ordinary Palestinians, the closure of the crossings has left them scrambling to secure basic necessities.

Palestinians gather to receive aid in northern Gaza. Reuters

Ribhi Suleiman, 50, a resident of Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, has been struggling to keep his family of eight alive since the war began. "Israel is playing games with us, using aid as a tool for blackmail. One day they allow it, the next day they block it. Meanwhile, we are left to starve," he told The National.

His experience is a grim reflection of life in Gaza, where hunger is no longer an occasional hardship but a daily reality. "When we were displaced to the south, we lived in hunger. When we returned to the north, we lived in hunger. Nothing has changed except the false promises."

The closure has caused immediate chaos in the local markets. With supply lines cut off, the prices of essential goods have skyrocketed overnight. With the holy month of Ramadan under way, the contrast between tradition and reality is especially stark.

For Mohammed Shabat, 34, the suffering is just as unbearable. Once a sewing factory worker, he is now unemployed, his home destroyed, and his family of five crammed into a school-turned-shelter in Gaza city.

"Closing the crossings has turned an already unbearable situation into a catastrophe," Mr Shabat. "Food and water are disappearing, and prices are reaching insane levels. Even before this, we could barely afford to eat. Those of us with limited income have been struggling since the war began. Now, even that tiny bit of hope is gone."

Human rights organisations and international bodies continue to call for Israel to lift the blockade and allow aid into Gaza. The UN and humanitarian groups stress that access to food, water, and medical supplies is a fundamental right, not a bargaining chip in political negotiations. With conditions worsening by the hour, Gaza’s residents are left hungry, desperate and uncertain of what tomorrow will bring.

"The world must act. They must pressure Israel to stop using starvation as a weapon and allow aid to reach the people who need it most. We are not soldiers. We are not part of this war. We are just people trying to survive,” Mr Shabat said.