Israel announced on Wednesday that it will continue to block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, where ongoing military operations have turned the territory into what a medical charity described as a “mass grave.”
Air and ground assaults resumed on March 18, breaking a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. However, Israel had already halted aid entry as of March 2, worsening the humanitarian crisis. At least 11 people were reported killed on Wednesday alone.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant reiterated that preventing aid is a key strategy to pressure Hamas. “Israel’s policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza,” he said. “This is one of our main pressure levers.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a visit to troops in northern Gaza, emphasized that military action is necessary to secure the release of 58 hostages. “Hamas will continue to suffer blow after blow until our objectives are achieved,” he stated.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, based in Ramallah, condemned Netanyahu’s visit as a “provocative intrusion” and accused Israel of genocide and forced displacement.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that the situation in Gaza is dire. “Gaza has become a mass grave for Palestinians and those trying to help them,” said MSF coordinator Amande Bazerolle. She noted that insecurity and critical supply shortages are crippling humanitarian efforts.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Monday that Gaza is facing its worst crisis since the conflict began in October 2023. The UN reported that no aid supplies have reached Gaza for six weeks, leaving the population without essentials like fuel, medicine, and clean water.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will begin hearings on April 28 to assess Israel’s humanitarian obligations under international law. While ICJ rulings are legally binding, they lack enforcement mechanisms.
On Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City killed 11 people, including women and children, according to local authorities. The latest offensive has raised Gaza’s death toll to over 51,000, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The war began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,218 people, mostly civilians. In response, Israel launched a prolonged military campaign in Gaza. Israeli forces also reported killing a Hezbollah militant in southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire agreement.
