Israeli curbs causing ‘alarming’ drop in Gaza aid deliveries, official warns

Israeli curbs causing ‘alarming’ drop in Gaza aid deliveries, official warns Submitted by Mera Aladam on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 07:54 Meanwhile, Israeli media reports a new US-backed aid plan mirroring last year’s controversial militarised distribution system, in which thousands of Palestinians were killed A Palestinian woman stands at the site of an Israeli strike in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza, 19 May 2026 (Ebrahim Hajjaj/Reuters) Off Israeli restrictions are causing a “severe and alarming” drop in the number of aid trucks entering Gaza, a Palestinian official warned on Tuesday. Ismail al-Thawabta, director general of Gaza’s Government Media Office, said the restrictions were inflicting “catastrophic harm to civilians”. He explained that since the ceasefire came into effect in October, Israel has allowed only 48,636 aid trucks into Gaza out of the 131,400 stipulated under the agreement, meaning more than 63 percent of humanitarian supplies have been blocked from entering the enclave. The situation worsened in May, when the aid entry rate fell from 37 percent to just 25 percent. Only 2,719 trucks were allowed into Gaza out of the expected 10,800. "This constitutes an extremely dangerous indicator reflecting the escalating policy of deliberately restricting and rationing humanitarian aid," al-Thawabta said on X.  He said the sharp decline in aid deliveries “confirms beyond any doubt that the occupation is pursuing a systematic policy of using food, medicine, and humanitarian aid as tools of pressure and political blackmail”. He added that the restrictions violate international humanitarian law and are causing catastrophic suffering for civilians. Al-Thawa...

Original source: Middle East Eye