Aid to Gaza meets only 10% of population needs

JERUSALEM

Israel must increase humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza as the aid entering the enclave meets only 10% of its needs, according to the Israeli media.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz wrote on Sunday: “Half of Gaza's population is in a state of severe or extreme hunger, and 90% of Gaza's more than two million residents are going a whole day without food, often.”

“The 190 trucks that enter Gaza daily with Israel's approval provide only about 10% of the needs of Gazans,” it added.

“Israeli media is largely hiding from the public the extent of the destruction, death, and humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip as a result of the war,” the newspaper said.

Gazans grapple with catastrophic humanitarian and health conditions, as approximately 1.4 million out of 2.3 million people have been displaced from their homes.

Israel has restricted access to food, water, medications, and electricity amid intense bombardment.

The aid entering the Gaza Strip does not meet the needs of the population, given the stringent blockade imposed by Israel on the Palestinian territory since 2006.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on Oct. 26 that the years-long Israeli blockade of Gaza has left 80% of the Palestinians in Gaza dependent on international aid.

At least 150 Palestinians were killed and another 286 wounded in the past 24 hours as Israeli forces continued their onslaught in the besieged Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry in the blockaded enclave said Sunday.

The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli army's ongoing attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7 has risen to 21,822, with 56,451 wounded, the ministry said.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

Authorities claim the Hamas attacks have killed around 1,200 Israelis.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio