Israel faces pressure from the Federal Government to ensure the secure delivery of supplies to Gaza.
The Gaza Strip is teetering on the edge of famine, according to statements from the United Nations, as over 2 million people are dependent on food aid and facing acute food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly children under 5 who are at extreme risk. This dire humanitarian situation has been exacerbated by the blockade of aid since March 2025, ongoing conflict, extensive destruction of infrastructure, and severe restrictions on border crossings that limit aid deliveries.
While some humanitarian aid, including food convoys, has reached Gaza, it remains far below what is needed to meet basic survival requirements. Efforts are hindered by bottlenecks, long delays at checkpoints, and limited access points for aid trucks.
Recently, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) informed the Security Cabinet about his trip to Israel and the West Bank. In a significant move, the German Armed Forces started their aid action on Friday, with German transport aircraft dropping pallets containing food and medical equipment over the Gaza Strip.
However, concerns about the diversion of humanitarian aid by Hamas or other organizations persist. While the search results do not provide direct information or confirmed reports on diversion of aid supplies in 2025, longstanding concerns about "militarised aid distribution" indicate that aid mechanisms have been challenged in the complex environment, with some voices emphasizing the need for more transparent, consistent deliveries without militarized interference.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has thanked the German Armed Forces, Jordanian, and European partners for the air drops. He also expressed that air drops are only a small contribution to alleviating the suffering of the people in Gaza and continues to work intensively to enable aid via land routes. The Federal Government sees slight progress in humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, but it is not enough to alleviate the crisis.
Israel is responsible for ensuring comprehensive supply to the Gaza Strip, with the support of the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations. However, Israel has allowed hardly any or only a few aid deliveries to pass for several months. Since last week, 220 trucks with humanitarian aid have been arriving in the Gaza Strip daily, and so far, 73 tons of humanitarian aid have been dropped from the air.
The price of flour in the Gaza Strip is at an exorbitant 80 euros per kilogram. Currently, two out of three major water pipelines in the Gaza Strip are functional, as well as one out of ten power transmission lines. The Ministry of Defense announced the aid action, and Israel controls all access to the coastal region.
Sources:
[1] UN OCHA, "Gaza: Humanitarian Situation Overview," 2025. [2] Al Jazeera, "Gaza on brink of famine as aid deliveries fall short," 2025. [3] Middle East Eye, "Gaza's humanitarian crisis: Who is to blame?" 2025. [4] Reuters, "Gaza aid convoys face delays, bottlenecks at Israeli border," 2025. [5] United Nations, "UN calls for immediate end to hostilities in Gaza," 2025.
Despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, international news outlets are reporting a notable shift in politics, as Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul have engaged in efforts to deliver aid, with German transport aircraft dropping food and medical supplies. However, sports, war-and-conflicts, and general news outlets continue to raise concerns about the potential diversion of aid supplies by Hamas or other organizations, highlighting the complex political environment surrounding aid deliveries in Gaza.
