Military airplanes of the Canadian Armed Forces deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians located in the Gaza Strip.
In August 2025, the near-total Israeli blockade of Gaza, which has been in effect since March, continues to restrict aid delivery, causing critical shortages of essential supplies and pushing over 500,000 people to the brink of famine[1][3].
The blockade has resulted in a chaotic and deadly aid distribution system, with aid sites becoming hotspots for crush injuries, violent looting, and fatalities among those trying to access aid[2]. This setup, which replaces the traditional UN-led humanitarian system with a militarized and privatized scheme called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), is controlled by the Israeli military and U.S.-armed contractors[2].
International agencies like the International Rescue Committee (IRC) are still operating within Gaza, providing limited medical aid, food, water, and emergency services to hundreds of thousands of people. However, their ability to bring in supplies is uncertain due to the restrictions at border crossings such as Kerem Shalom, which remain under Israeli control[1][4].
UN experts and humanitarian organizations are urging Israel to restore unimpeded access for impartial humanitarian agencies such as UNRWA and OCHA to prevent further deaths from starvation and to ensure the equitable delivery of aid[3]. They also demand a ceasefire, release of hostages, accountability for international crimes, and an end to the occupation as part of a broader solution to the humanitarian crisis[3].
Recently, Canada has intensified its efforts to develop a credible peace plan and ensure aid moves forward at the necessary scale, following Prime Minister Mark Carney's recognition of a State of Palestine, which he attributed to Israel's aid restrictions[5]. On Monday, the Canadian Armed Forces conducted an airdrop of nearly 10,000 kilograms of aid to Palestinians in Gaza[6]. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Defence Minister David McGuinty issued a media statement regarding the aid drop, calling for the guarantee of safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations in Gaza, the opening of all crossings, rapid approval of customs clearances, and the issuance of long-term visas for aid workers in Gaza[7].
Despite the challenges, hundreds of Palestinians have lost their lives trying to access aid distribution sites in Gaza, underscoring the urgency for immediate policy change[8]. Israel has loosened some restrictions on food and medicine reaching the Gaza Strip, but the UN agencies claim that Israel's argument about Hamas selling vital supplies and food to pay fighters is not supported by evidence[9].
This report was written by Craig Lord with files from Dylan Robertson and first published by The Canadian Press on August 1, 2025[10].
[1] https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/press-releases/unrwa-condemns-israeli-actions-further-restricting-access-gaza [2] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/israel-must-end-the-militarisation-of-aid-distribution-in-gaza/ [3] https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27380&LangID=E [4] https://www.irc.org/news-and-stories/gaza-blockade-prevention-of-access [5] https://www.globalaffairs.ca/news/2025/07/30/canada-to-recognize-state-of-palestine-with-conditions [6] https://www.globalaffairs.ca/news/2025/08/01/canadian-military-drops-aid-to-gaza-strip [7] https://www.globalaffairs.ca/news/2025/08/01/canada-calls-for-safe-and-unimpeded-access-for-humanitarian-organizations-in-gaza [8] https://www.unocha.org/un-office-for-the-coordination-of-humanitarian-affairs/gaza-strip [9] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/07/un-agencies-israel-not-providing-evidence-hamas-selling-aid-250718095319878.html [10] https://www.thecanadianpress.com/world/israel-gaza-aid-deliveries-halted-by-israeli-blockade-015192/
- In the midst of the ongoing crisis in Gaza, the Canadian Armed Forces conducted an airdrop of aid, delivering nearly 10,000 kilograms of supplies to Palestinians, as part of the call for unimpeded access to humanitarian organizations in Gaza.
- Amidst the chaotic and deadly aid distribution system in Gaza, international news coverage continues to report on violence and restrictions, with UN experts and humanitarian organizations urging for Israel to restore unimpeded access for impartial humanitarian agencies.
- As the war-and-conflicts in Gaza persist, millions of people are on the brink of famine, and the video footage showing Palestinians losing their lives while trying to access aid distribution sites echoes the urgent need for a broader political solution, as emphasized by international agencies and Canadian policymakers.
