In recent months, tensions over the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza have escalated as more than 100 aid organisations, including prominent groups such as Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), have accused Israel of deliberately obstructing the flow of critical supplies. These organisations argue that the newly introduced Israeli regulations amount to the “weaponisation of aid,” particularly at a time when starvation is worsening in the enclave. The groups report being repeatedly informed that they are “not authorised” to deliver aid unless they fully comply with a stricter set of operational requirements introduced by Israel in March. These new conditions demand detailed disclosures about Palestinian staff and prohibit any actions or statements that could be interpreted as “delegitimising” the state of Israel. Failure to meet the standards carries the risk of an organisation being banned altogether from operating in the area.
The joint statement released by these organisations claims that since March 2, most major international NGOs have been unable to get a single truckload of life-saving goods into Gaza. The letter cites over 60 requests for aid entry being denied in July alone. Humanitarian agencies warn that this blockade has left hospitals bereft of basic supplies and has caused preventable deaths among children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. In the words of Sean Carroll, CEO of American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera), his organisation currently has over $7 million worth of relief supplies—including 744 tons of rice, enough for six million meals—stranded just a few kilometres away in Ashdod.
Israel firmly rejects the accusation that it is preventing aid from reaching those in need. Officials argue that the measures are designed purely for security reasons, to ensure that assistance reaches civilians directly and does not fall into the hands of Hamas. The Israeli military body responsible for aid coordination, Cogat, says that nearly 20 registered organisations that have complied with the rules are already delivering aid into Gaza, with about 300 trucks entering every day. However, the United Nations maintains that at least 600 trucks daily are required to meet the urgent needs of the population.
The March policy changes have revised the registration process for aid groups, outlining not only the procedures for gaining and retaining permission to operate but also the grounds on which an application may be rejected. Among the criteria that could lead to denial are promoting “delegitimisation campaigns” against Israel or rejecting its democratic character. Israeli officials have defended these requirements by pointing to cases where aid organisations allegedly acted as a cover for hostile or violent activities, including connections to boycott movements. According to Israel’s Diaspora Minister, Amichai Chikli, any group without such ties and willing to meet the registration requirements will be permitted to work in the territory.
Oxfam’s Policy Lead, Bushra Khalidi, says the system sends a message to international NGOs that maintaining access to Gaza might come at the cost of their independence and their willingness to speak out. She points to more than $2.5 million worth of Oxfam goods already blocked from entry. MSF officials have been even more scathing, describing the arrangement as a “militarised food distribution scheme” that has turned starvation itself into a weapon. Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, an MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza, accused the current framework of intentionally controlling food flows for political leverage, while MSF’s secretary-general, Chris Lockyear, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—a body backed by Israel and the US—a “death trap.” He warned that the humanitarian situation is “hanging on by a thread.”
Israel’s military operations in Gaza remain intense, with bombardments of Gaza City continuing as part of a broader plan to take control of the area. Officials have said aid will be provided to civilians “outside combat zones,” but they have not clarified whether this will occur through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Israel insists such measures are necessary to stop Hamas from seizing supplies, a claim Hamas denies. The humanitarian toll is staggering: according to the Hamas-run health ministry, nearly 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s offensive, and 235 people—including 106 children—have died from starvation or malnutrition alone.
The crisis traces back to the Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023, which left about 1,200 people dead and saw 251 hostages taken into Gaza. Since then, the war has pushed Gaza’s population to the brink of famine. The UN recently reported that 859 Palestinians had been killed near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites since May, though the foundation disputes these figures. For many aid groups, the combination of military escalation, bureaucratic hurdles, and political conditions has made it virtually impossible to deliver assistance at the scale required to prevent further humanitarian catastrophe. As the conflict grinds on, the debate over security, neutrality, and the right to deliver aid has become as bitter and entrenched as the war itself, leaving civilians trapped between military objectives and the struggle for survival.