US, Palestinian authorities clash over pace and scale of aid entering Gaza
The White House says nearly 15,000 trucks carrying commercial goods and humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza since October 10, but Palestinian officials and aid organisations sharply dispute those figures and say life-saving aid remains insufficient.
White House spokesperson Dylan Johnson told Al Jazeera that an average of 674 trucks have entered Gaza each day since the Israel–Hamas ceasefire went into effect. He highlighted that humanitarian teams “have reached more than one million people with household food parcels since October 10” and that meal production in Gaza has increased by 82% since late September. Johnson also said that “eggs appeared on shelves in Gaza for the first time since February.”
“The United States is leading a historic effort to address the critical needs of Gazans right now,” Johnson said, adding that the administration is committed to treating Palestinians “with dignity and respect.”
Despite those claims, multiple agencies on the ground say conditions remain dire. The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that only about half of the required food aid is currently reaching Gaza. A coalition of Palestinian relief organisations says total deliveries equal roughly one-quarter of what was agreed under the ceasefire arrangements.
Gaza’s Government Media Office published its own tally, saying that since the ceasefire began only 28% of the agreed number of aid trucks have been allowed in — a total of 4,453 vehicles, far below the promised 15,600, averaging about 171 trucks per day. The office warned that “these limited quantities fall far below the minimum humanitarian threshold” and called for the immediate entry of at least 600 trucks daily to deliver essential supplies such as food, medicine, fuel and cooking gas.
The media office also accused Israeli authorities of “engineered starvation,” alleging that more than 350 basic food items — including eggs, meat, cheese, vegetables and nutritional supplements — have been banned from entering Gaza, while low-value items such as soft drinks, chocolate and crisps have been permitted and sold at inflated prices. “This proves that the occupation is deliberately implementing a policy of food manipulation as a weapon against civilians,” the statement said.
Johnson stressed aspects of US-led relief efforts, saying that 17,000 cubic metres (approximately 4.5 million gallons) of drinking water are being delivered daily and that drinking-water availability in northern Gaza increased by 130% in October. “There has been great progress, but there is still much to do. This is only the beginning,” he added.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted improvements in southern Gaza since the truce — reporting that some families there now have two meals a day compared with one in July — but warned that food security in northern Gaza remains in a catastrophic state.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said that while humanitarian access has improved, “people’s urgent needs are still immense,” and he emphasised that aid convoys remain restricted to just two Israeli crossings. The WFP renewed its call for all access points to be opened immediately so Gaza can be fully supplied with food and medical aid, noting that no explanation has been provided for the continued closure of northern crossings.
Bottom line: Official US figures point to a major flow of aid into Gaza since October 10, but Palestinian authorities, UN agencies and relief groups say the scale and composition of deliveries fall well short of agreed needs — particularly in northern Gaza — and are demanding that all crossings be opened to avert further humanitarian catastrophe.
