United States Announces Food Aid Program for Gaza Following Diplomat's Visit
The current state of food aid delivery in Gaza is fraught with danger and inadequacy, as widespread starvation and high casualties among Palestinians seeking food continue. Since late May 2025, over 1,373 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food, mostly by the Israeli military [1][3][4].
The Gaza Humanitarian Food (GHF) scheme, the main mechanism delivering food aid, has distributed approximately 95 million meals but can only manage about 60 trucks daily. This is significantly below the 600 trucks per day during the earlier UN-led ceasefire period in 2025 [1]. Airdrops and designated secure routes have been announced by the Israeli military to facilitate aid, but the overall volume remains dangerously insufficient [1].
Security breakdowns inside Gaza have hindered safe delivery, with some aid hoarded and sold at high prices, further exacerbating shortages. Human Rights Watch has criticised the aid distribution as "flawed" and "militarized," causing regular deadly incidents where civilians are killed while seeking food [1][2]. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has also documented the challenges and risks, including gunfire near aid convoys at border crossings [2][5].
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian groups remain deeply intertwined. The intense Israeli military response following the Hamas attack in October 2023 has resulted in massive Palestinian casualties and infrastructure devastation, severely impacting food availability and aid access [2]. International law requires protection of civilians and humanitarian aid, but the ongoing violence and restricted aid flow have led to starvation, displacement, and high mortality in Gaza [1].
In a recent development, President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited a US-backed distribution center in Gaza on Friday to plan for delivering more food. However, the humanitarian crisis and the dangerous conditions persist, with the Gaza civil defense agency reporting that 22 people were killed by Israeli gunfire and air strikes on Friday, including eight who were waiting to collect food aid [6].
The retaliatory Israeli offensive has killed at least 60,249 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry [7]. The Israeli government has faced international pressure to end the bloodshed in Gaza, with Foreign Minister of Germany, Johann Wadephul, urging the Israeli government to provide humanitarian and medical aid to prevent mass starvation [8].
The situation in Gaza remains critical, with the need for increased and safer food aid deliveries to prevent mass starvation and reduce tensions on the ground. The ongoing violence and the challenges in aid delivery require immediate attention and action from all parties involved.
References: [1] Amnesty International. (2025). Israel/Gaza: Aid under fire. [online] Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/israelgaza-aid-under-fire/ [2] Human Rights Watch. (2025). Israel/Gaza: Starvation as a weapon of war. [online] Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/07/29/israelgaza-starvation-weapon-war [3] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. (2025). Gaza: Humanitarian Bulletin. [online] Available at: https://www.ochaopt.org/content/gaza-humanitarian-bulletin-28-july-2025 [4] Al Jazeera. (2025). Gaza: Over 1,300 Palestinians killed in 2025. [online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/28/gaza-over-1300-palestinians-killed-in-2025 [5] Middle East Eye. (2025). Gaza: Aid convoys face gunfire at border crossings. [online] Available at: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-aid-convoys-face-gunfire-border-crossings [6] Associated Press. (2025). Israeli strikes kill 22 in Gaza, including 8 waiting for food aid. [online] Available at: https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-conflict-middle-east-israel-palestinian-territories-6b30c2a47408c3818b31c8e2a12d207e [7] Middle East Monitor. (2025). Over 60,000 Palestinians killed in Israeli offensive on Gaza. [online] Available at: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250728-over-60000-palestinians-killed-in-israeli-offensive-on-gaza/ [8] Deutsche Welle. (2025). German foreign minister urges Israel to provide aid to Gaza. [online] Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/german-foreign-minister-urges-israel-to-provide-aid-to-gaza/a-58146677
- The Gaza Humanitarian Food (GHF) scheme, dealing with food-and-drink, has struggled to meet the demand for food aid in Gaza, as it can only manage about 60 trucks daily, contrary to the 600 trucks per day during the earlier UN-led ceasefire period.
- Politics and crime-and-justice continue to pose threats to the already critical situation in Gaza, with the Israeli government facing international pressure to prevent mass starvation and adhere to international law protecting civilians and humanitarian aid.
- Beyond the food-and-drink crisis, general-news outlets have reported numerous accidents, such as the death of 22 people on Friday due to Israeli gunfire and air strikes, adding to the ongoing war-and-conflicts and high mortality rates in Gaza.
