Israel Allows Only 24% of Promised Gaza Aid Trucks as Strikes Continue, Gaza Officials Say

Israel still blocking most Gaza aid as military carries out further attacks

Gaza authorities say Israel has allowed only a small fraction of the humanitarian consignments promised under a US-brokered ceasefire to enter the enclave since the agreement came into effect last month.

Between 10 and 31 October, Gaza’s Government Media Office reported that 3,203 commercial and aid trucks entered Gaza — an average of about 145 trucks per day, or roughly 24% of the 600 daily trucks envisaged in the ceasefire terms.

“We strongly condemn the Israeli occupation’s obstruction of aid and commercial trucks and hold it fully responsible for the worsening and deteriorating humanitarian situation faced by more than 2.4 million people in the Gaza Strip,” the Government Media Office said.

Although deliveries have risen since the truce began, Palestinians across Gaza continue to face severe shortages of food, clean water, medicine and other essentials due to restricted access. Many families also lack adequate shelter after homes and neighbourhoods were heavily damaged or destroyed during almost two years of bombardment.

A United Nations spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN humanitarian office has reported that aid collection has been “limited” by rerouting ordered by Israeli authorities. Farhan Haq explained that convoys are currently forced to use the Philadelphi Corridor along the border with Egypt and then travel up a narrow, damaged coastal road that is heavily congested.

“Additional crossings and internal routes are needed to expand collections and response,” Haq told reporters.

At the same time, Gaza officials report that the Israeli military has continued operations across the territory, which they say breach the ceasefire terms. On Saturday, Israeli fighter jets, artillery and tanks shelled areas around Khan Younis in the south, and the army reportedly demolished residential buildings east of the Jabalia refugee camp in the north.

Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum cited witnesses in Khan Younis who described “constant heavy shelling and drone fire hitting what’s left of residential homes and farmland” beyond the so-called yellow line, the demarcation where Israeli forces are positioned. Gaza’s Civil Defence has said it is struggling to reach some sites close to that line because of ongoing air strikes and drones overhead.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect have killed at least 222 Palestinians and wounded 594. Israeli leaders say some strikes are a response to Hamas allegedly failing to return all the bodies of deceased Israeli captives. Hamas counters that recovery efforts are hampered by widespread destruction and by restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery and bulldozers needed for recovery operations.

Late on Friday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had transferred the bodies of three people to Israel after they were handed over by Hamas. Israeli media, citing official assessments, reported that Israeli authorities concluded those remains did not match any of the 11 remaining deceased Israeli captives.

Context: The figures and accounts in this report come from Gaza’s Government Media Office, Gaza’s Health Ministry, UN statements, local reporters and international agencies. The situation remains volatile and humanitarian access continues to be a major concern for relief agencies.