Israel’s suspension of aid deliveries to Gaza is compounding the enclave’s humanitarian crisis, with bakeries shutting down, food supplies dwindling, and officials warning of looming environmental disasters.
The blockade, aimed at pressuring Hamas in ongoing ceasefire negotiations, halts food, fuel, and medicine shipments. Hamas has condemned the move as “collective punishment,” insisting it will not yield to Israeli demands.
The UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, warned that the halt in humanitarian aid threatens the lives of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, most of whom depend on external assistance after 17 months of war.
Nasser Al-Ajrami, head of Gaza’s bakers’ union, said six out of 22 operational bakeries had already shut down due to fuel shortages. “If the blockade continues, all bakeries may close within a week,” he told Reuters. “This will further worsen food shortages and increase desperation.”
‘No Water, No Electricity, No Life’
The crisis is hitting displaced civilians hardest. In Khan Younis, Ghada al-Rakab, a mother of six, struggles to provide food for her family. Living in a tent after her home was destroyed, she relies on a clay oven to bake whatever she can.
“What kind of life is this? No electricity, no water, no life,” she said. “We don’t even live like humans anymore.”
Environmental Disaster Looms
Israel has also cut electricity supplies to Gaza, further crippling essential infrastructure. The Palestinian Water Authority says the blockade has halted a desalination plant that provides drinking water to central and southern Gaza, leaving residents vulnerable to disease.
With fuel for backup generators running low, Gaza’s municipalities warn they may be forced to discharge raw sewage into the sea, posing severe environmental and health risks.
Ceasefire Talks at a Standstill
A fragile ceasefire has held since January 19, but negotiations remain stalled over the release of hostages and Gaza’s postwar governance. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. are working to revive talks, with Hamas insisting that Israel must honor the original terms of the truce.
Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said Monday that Israel’s blockade is worsening conditions for both civilians and hostages. “Israel will not free them except through negotiation,” he said.
