The amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza surged dramatically on Sunday, with more than 630 trucks entering the enclave on the first day of the cease-fire, according to United Nations officials. This figure represents the highest number of trucks since the onset of the war over 15 months ago.
The truce enabled the U.N. World Food Program to deliver urgently needed food aid at scale, beginning to address the severe food shortages in the war-ravaged territory. U.N. relief chief Tom Fletcher noted that over 300 of the trucks were directed to northern Gaza, where aid had been particularly scarce, raising concerns about potential famine.
During the conflict, fewer than 100 trucks per day had been entering Gaza, with deliveries occasionally halted. Relief agencies have accused Israel of imposing stringent restrictions on aid deliveries, which Israel has denied. They have stated that at least 200 trucks per day were necessary to meet the needs for food, medicines, fuel, clean water, and other essentials.
Following the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, aid convoys reportedly entered Gaza without issues, with no incidents of theft or looting reported. Juliette Touma, a spokeswoman for the main U.N. agency assisting Palestinians, indicated that local police were present in some areas to secure the convoys, while security was deemed unnecessary in others.
Uniformed police officers and armed fighters, typically not visible during the conflict, were seen in various cities and towns across Gaza, suggesting Hamas's continued control over the enclave.
Videos shared on social media depicted aid convoys driving through Gaza as people gathered calmly along the roadsides, contrasting sharply with the chaotic scenes of wartime aid deliveries, where desperate crowds often swarmed the trucks.
Nebal Farsakh, a spokeswoman for the Palestinian Red Crescent, noted that none of the trucks entering Gaza were looted, marking the first instance in 15 months that such a large number of trucks had arrived.
However, the distribution of aid within Gaza remains uncertain, with some residents reporting they have not yet received or even seen the aid. Touma stated that UNRWA staff and other aid workers were still organizing the incoming supplies before distribution.
Twenty-two-year-old Moustafa al-Aloul from northern Gaza expressed concern, stating, “It’s the second day of the cease-fire and they said that aid and flour have come in but unfortunately we haven’t seen any of it yet. Currently, the markets literally have nothing.”
The Gazan ministry of social development, part of the Hamas-led administration, announced preparations to receive aid and assured that all necessary permits would be provided for aid organizations. The ministry emphasized that efforts would be coordinated to ensure fair distribution of aid to all citizens.
Israeli officials have accused Hamas of stockpiling essential supplies for its members and controlling the population, with reports of profiteers seizing aid for resale on the black market. Aid officials argue that the solution lies in addressing the scarcity of supplies.
Touma mentioned that some trucks entering Gaza were carrying commercial goods, which had been rare during the war. She remarked, “You can’t turn the two million people in Gaza into a nation that is solely dependent on aid.”
On Sunday, the World Food Program delivered ready-to-eat meals and bags of wheat flour, aiming to send at least 150 truckloads of food into Gaza daily, alongside other supplies, while also restocking bakeries and providing nutritional supplements for malnourished children.