Stéphane Dujarric, UN spokesperson, communicated that Israel is blocking the crossing of Kerem Shalom, Zikim and Erez. Three days after the start of the blockade, not a single aid shipment was delivered in Gaza. UN news reports that this operation prevents humanitarian workers from collecting the supplies needed to bring aid to civilians. He added that the necessity for these supplies is high, since Gaza is struggling to return to a sort of normality after the ceasefire signed in January 2025.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency, stated that this is a weaponization of humanitarian aid and, according to the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), it consists of a violation. In fact, under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the Additional Protocol I of 1977, parties must allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid for civilians in need. Despite these difficulties, the UN agencies are still on the ground to bring all the aid they can.
The conflict started on October 7, 2023 when Hamas launched an assault killing 1,200 people in Israel and took at least 250 hostages. Israel responded with unproportionate attacks targeting civilians of the Gaza Strip. However, the origins of the conflict can be traced back to the post WWII when in 1947 the UN voted for Palestine to be split into a separate Jewish State and an Arab state.
