Israel's continued aid blockade deepens humanitarian crisis in Gaza

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate as Israel keeps the Zikim border crossing closed and blocks the entry of essential aid.

Despite repeated calls from the international community for Israel to ensure the basic supply of necessities for civilians, the reality is that the blockade on Gaza has remained virtually unchanged.

Since September 12, the Israeli military has closed the Zikim crossing, the only direct access to northern Gaza.

According to United Nations (UN) statistics, as of September 28, food supplies in northern Gaza had plunged by 70 percent from mid-September. Even if aid supplies can enter southern Gaza, transporting them to the north remains a formidable challenge. Meanwhile, in central Gaza, the Kissufim crossing was reopened at the end of 2024 under international pressure. It is currently one of only two operational entry points remaining.

After the closure of the Zikim crossing, Israel expanded and renovated the Kissufim crossing. Following the renovations, Israel said it would allow the entry of a maximum of 150 aid trucks daily through the crossing into Gaza. However, the actual number has been much lower.

Currently, the main route for humanitarian aid entering Gaza remains the Kerem Shalom border crossing in southern Gaza.

The office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli Defense Ministry unit responsible for civilian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, said that approximately 300 trucks have been entering Gaza daily in recent weeks, primarily carrying food aid.

However, according to the Hamas-run government media office in Gaza, the total number of trucks that entered Gaza throughout September was only 1,824, which is just about 10 percent of the actual demand.

In the past two years, Israel has imposed a strict aid blockade on Gaza, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis. Since Israel launched a large-scale ground offensive in Gaza City in September, nearly a million people have been forced to flee once again, worsening the crisis further.

The death toll in the war-torn Gaza Strip has risen to 71,455 since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on Oct 7, 2023, with the number of injuries reaching 171,347, Gaza's health authorities said on Friday.

In the past 24 hours, hospitals in Gaza received 14 more bodies, including 12 new deaths and two bodies recovered from the rubble, in addition to 18 new injuries as of 11:00 on Friday, the authorities said.

Since the ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct 11, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 463 people and wounded 1,269 others, according to the Gaza health authorities.