Gaza, Hunger, Palestine, Israel, War,

3^min

Fear of death is no longer the only concern for the people of Gaza; now, the specter of death by hunger looms. According to the World Food Programme, 90% of Gazans live in significant hunger.

This dire situation was highlighted in a report sent by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, to the Security Council, describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza as catastrophic.

Global health organizations attribute this reality to the limited flow of aid into Gaza due to Israeli bureaucracy deliberately hindering aid delivery. How does aid reach Gaza?

Initially, aid arrives in the Egyptian city of Arish. The Egyptian Red Crescent receives this aid and repackages it according to conditions imposed by COGAT, a unit in the Israeli Ministry of Defense responsible for coordinating civil affairs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Among these conditions are:

- The aid box size should be at most one meter by three meters.

- Different types of aid should not be mixed.

- Some aids, such as solar energy devices, water purification filters, and hospital radiography devices, are not allowed to enter, with this list modified daily by Israel.

After repackaging, the aid is handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent and transported by trucks from Arish towards the Rafah Crossing. There, it undergoes further inspection by Egyptian security forces, and non-compliant aids are rejected.

These aids are sent for Israeli inspection through one of two routes: either the Nitzana Crossing, which is 150 kilometers away from Rafah, or the Kerem Shalom Crossing, just a few kilometers away from Rafah. Trucks are often compelled by the Israeli side to use the Nitzana Crossing.

Upon arrival, the aids undergo another inspection, and if, for example, one box is found to be non-compliant, the entire truck is sent back with its contents.

It's worth noting that Israeli security forces at the mentioned crossing operate during specific hours, extending the inspection period for each truck to 24 to 48 hours. If the contents are approved, the truck returns to the Rafah Crossing to enter Gaza.

All of this delays the arrival of aid to Gaza and contributes to its delivery in a damaged state, as the entry of any truck into Gaza takes four to five days.

Consequently, at a maximum, only 100 trucks enter the sector daily, compared to the pre-war daily average of 500 trucks. Will global health organizations remain idle in the face of this reality?