By The United Nations announced on Tuesday that it has suspended food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah due to a lack of supplies and ongoing insecurity. The UN also reported that no aid trucks had entered the city in the past two days via a floating pier established by the U.S. for sea deliveries.
The exact number of people remaining in Rafah since the intensified Israeli military assault began two weeks ago is unclear, but it is estimated to be several hundred thousand. The World Food Program (WFP) also indicated it is running out of food for central Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing Rafah have sought shelter, setting up new tent camps or crowding into already devastated areas.
Abeer Etefa, a spokesperson for the WFP, warned, “Humanitarian operations in Gaza are near collapse.” She emphasized that if supplies do not resume entering Gaza in significant quantities, famine-like conditions will spread.
This warning comes as Israel deals with the fallout from a request by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders. The prosecutor cited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for the alleged “use of starvation as a method of warfare,” a charge they deny. The prosecutor also accused three Hamas leaders of war crimes over the killings of civilians in the group’s October 7 attack.
According to the UN, approximately 1.1 million people in Gaza—nearly half the population—face catastrophic levels of hunger and the territory is on the brink of famine. The crisis in humanitarian supplies has worsened since Israel’s incursion into Rafah on May 6, which included seizing the Rafah crossing into Egypt. Since May 10, only about three dozen trucks have made it into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel due to the fighting, which makes it difficult for aid workers to reach the crossing.
For months, the UN has warned that an Israeli assault on Rafah could disrupt efforts to deliver food, medicine, and other supplies to Palestinians across Gaza. The city has seen scenes of hungry children holding out pots and plastic containers at makeshift soup kitchens, with many families reduced to eating only one meal a day. Rafah’s population had swelled to around 1.3 million people, most of whom had fled fighting elsewhere.
Around 810,000 people have left Rafah, although Israel says it has not launched the full-scale invasion of the city it had planned. The United States has criticized Israel for not presenting a “credible” plan for evacuating the population or ensuring their safety.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) announced the suspension of distribution in Rafah on X (formerly Twitter), citing the lack of supplies. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that UNRWA distribution centers and WFP warehouses in Rafah were “inaccessible due to ongoing military operations.” When asked about the suspension’s impact, Dujarric responded, “People don’t eat.”
Etefa added that the WFP has also stopped distribution in Rafah after exhausting its stocks. The agency continues to provide hot meals and limited distributions of reduced food parcels in central Gaza, but stocks are expected to run out within days.
The Israeli military office coordinating aid did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Israeli officials claim there are no restrictions on the amount of aid entering Gaza through crossings. Some aid trucks continue to enter northern Gaza via a crossing from Israel.
The floating pier erected by the U.S. on the Gaza coast was intended to facilitate accelerated deliveries. However, only five of the initial 10 trucks reached their destination due to crowds of hungry Palestinians intercepting supplies. No further deliveries have arrived since Saturday.
Meanwhile, fighting has escalated in northern Gaza. The Kamal Adwan hospital was forced to evacuate after being “targeted” by Israeli troops, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Another hospital, Awda, has been surrounded by troops for three days and was hit by an artillery shell, leading to a shortage of drinking water.
The conflict began on October 7 when Hamas-led militants crossed into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. The ICC prosecutor accused Hamas leaders of crimes against humanity. Israel’s subsequent offensive has resulted in over 35,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The ICC prosecutor’s call for arrest warrants has deepened Israel’s international isolation, with support for the move from France, Belgium, and Slovenia. Israel still has backing from the United States and other Western nations. If issued, the warrants could complicate international travel for Netanyahu and Gallant, even though Israel is not a member of the ICC.
Source: AP
