July 27, 2025 — Gaza/Rafah (Reuters/BBC/Al Jazeera) — Under intense international pressure and amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, Israel has initiated limited humanitarian measures including airdrops of food aid and the reopening of aid corridors into the Gaza Strip.
According to Reuters, dozens of aid trucks began crossing into Gaza from Egypt on Sunday via the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing in the south, a route that had remained largely shut since March 2025. Egyptian state-affiliated broadcaster Al Qahera News confirmed the movement from the Rafah border area.
The Israeli military also announced the start of humanitarian airdrops over northern Gaza, delivering essential supplies like flour, sugar, and canned goods. “The airdrops were conducted in coordination with international aid organisations,” the military said, adding that seven pallets were dropped on Saturday.
Despite these steps, the situation on the ground remains dire. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 127 people, including 85 children, have died due to malnutrition since the start of the war in October 2023. On Wednesday, more than 100 aid agencies warned that “mass starvation is spreading” across Gaza, where 2.2 million people remain trapped under siege, reports Reuters.
Israel has denied the existence of famine, calling such claims part of a “false campaign” led by Hamas. “The IDF emphasizes that there is no starvation in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military said Saturday, asserting that distribution responsibility lies with the United Nations and international groups.
The UN disagrees. “We are operating under extreme Israeli-imposed restrictions,” said a UN spokesperson, noting that not enough alternative routes have been made available for aid convoys, hampering delivery efforts.
Further complicating the crisis, Israel intercepted a civilian aid ship attempting to break the maritime blockade. Israeli naval forces stopped the vessel before it entered Gaza waters, stating all passengers were safe and the ship was being taken to Israeli shores. Activists on board, who had sailed from Italy, described the move as “a violation of international humanitarian principles,” reports Al Jazeera.
Humanitarian pauses, Israel claims, will be implemented in densely populated zones to allow safe passage for aid convoys. Yet, combat operations have not ceased, raising doubts about how effective these measures can truly be.
In what many see as a symbolic gesture, Israel also connected a power line to a desalination plant expected to supply water to around 900,000 Gazans.
This crisis stems from the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages. Since then, Israel’s retaliatory military operation has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, and devastated the enclave’s infrastructure.
While aid flows resume in small amounts, experts warn these measures are too little, too late.
After months of starvation and failed ceasefire talks, Israel opens limited humanitarian corridors and begins airdrops, as international agencies decry mass hunger in Gaza.
