After mounting international criticism regarding the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel has begun airdropping relief supplies over the coastal area. “The deliveries include seven pallets of flour, sugar, and canned food,” a military spokesperson said Saturday night. The spokesperson also mentioned that humanitarian corridors would be created for UN aid convoys. Additionally, Israel is prepared to implement “humanitarian pauses” in parts of the coastal zone. 

16 Dead Waiting for Aid Earlier, according to Palestinian sources, new fatalities occurred among those waiting for relief supplies. Sixteen Palestinians were killed while waiting near the northern Zikim border crossing for trucks carrying humanitarian aid, according to doctors at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Another 300 people were injured.

The information could not be independently verified at the time. The Israeli army did not initially comment on the incident. In the besieged Gaza Strip, there have been repeated shootings at individuals near humanitarian aid distribution centers or border crossings. The Israeli military had previously stated that suspects would be shot if they approached troops without permission or entered restricted areas.

A Desperate Situation

on the Coast International aid organizations describe the condition of the approximately two million Palestinians in the coastal area as desperate. Since Israel allows very limited humanitarian aid into the sealed zone, most of the population is suffering from severe hunger. Israel’s behavior has drawn sharp international condemnation.

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Christian Stocker (ÖVP) also described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “unbearable” and called for a ceasefire. According to the Health Ministry, controlled by Islamist group Hamas, more than 100 people have already died of malnutrition—80 percent of them children. Israel denies the existence of a famine in Gaza. The country blames UN organizations for the lack of food, claiming they fail to distribute the aid supplies. The UN, on the other hand, emphasizes that the Israeli military generally does not guarantee safe transport routes within the coastal strip.

Israel: 100 Trucks Entered Gaza

with Aid According to the Israeli military authority COGAT, which is responsible for approving and coordinating aid transports, 100 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip on Friday. UN organizations reportedly distributed the goods. In recent weeks, according to UN data, only a few aid convoys have reached the area. Based on this information, at least 500 trucks per day would be needed to meet the population's basic needs. The Gaza war was triggered by the attack on Israel by Hamas and other Islamist terrorist organizations on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage to the Gaza Strip.