United Nations chief Antonio Guterres stated that Israel has authorized aid for Gaza that “amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required,” reiterating that the UN will not engage in a new US-supported distribution plan.
“Without rapid, reliable, safe, and sustained aid access, more lives will be lost, and the long-term effects on the entire population will be significant,” Mr. Guterres told reporters.
Israel claims that approximately 300 trucks of aid have entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing since it lifted an 11-week blockade on Gaza on Monday. However, Mr. Guterres noted that only about a third of those truckloads have reached warehouses in Gaza due to insecurity.
Israel has permitted aid deliveries by the UN and other aid organizations to temporarily resume until a new US-backed distribution model, managed by the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), is operational by the end of the month. The UN has indicated that the plan lacks impartiality and neutrality, and it will not participate.
This is my appeal for life-saving aid for the long-suffering people of Gaza:
Let’s get aid to a desperate population.
Let’s do it right.
And let’s do it right away.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 23, 2025
Israel stated that its blockade was partly aimed at preventing Palestinian militants Hamas from diverting and seizing aid supplies. Hamas has denied these accusations.
The GHF plan involves utilizing private security contractors to transport aid to designated secure hubs for distribution by civilian humanitarian teams.
“The United Nations has made its stance clear: We will not partake in any scheme that fails to respect international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality,” Mr. Guterres asserted.
The UN and its partners have a plan ready to ensure the needed aid reaches Gaza, he stated.
“The supplies—160,000 pallets, enough to fill nearly 9,000 trucks—are on standby,” Mr. Guterres added.
“This is my appeal for life-saving aid for the long-suffering people of Gaza: Let’s do it right. And let’s do it right away,” he concluded.
Strikes have reportedly killed six Palestinians who were protecting aid trucks, according to Hamas.
Simultaneously, Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of at least six Palestinians guarding aid trucks against looters, according to Hamas officials, highlighting the challenges obstructing aid delivery to starving individuals in Gaza following Israel’s 11-week blockade.
The Israeli military reported that 107 trucks carrying flour, other food items, and medical supplies have entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing point.
However, transporting these supplies to individuals sheltering in tents and makeshift accommodations has proven inconsistent.
A coalition of Palestinian aid groups stated that since Israel eased its blockade on Monday amid international outcry, 119 aid trucks have entered Gaza.
Nevertheless, distribution has been hindered by looting conducted by armed groups near Khan Younis, as reported by the network.
“They took food intended for children and families suffering from severe hunger,” the network stated, while also condemning Israeli airstrikes on security teams protecting the trucks.
A Hamas official indicated that six members of a security team responsible for safeguarding the shipments were killed.
No immediate response has been provided by the Israeli military.
People clamber for bread handed out through a bakery window in Nusseirat Refugee Camp
The coalition of aid groups stated that the volume of aid entering Gaza is still inadequate and only consists of a limited range of supplies.
It described Israel’s agreement to allow trucks into the war-torn enclave as a “deceptive manoeuvre” to deflect international pressure demanding the blockade’s repeal.
The UN World Food Programme reported that 15 trucks carrying flour intended for WFP-supported bakeries had been looted.
“Hunger, desperation, and anxiety regarding future food aid are contributing to escalating insecurity,” WFP stated, urging Israel to expedite and increase the quantity of food entering Gaza securely and consistently.
“As WFP has previously stated, two million people are facing severe hunger and famine without immediate action,” it added.
To date, Israel claims it has allowed around 300 trucks to enter Gaza, representing only a fraction of what aid organizations believe is necessary to alleviate hunger for the population.
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However, many trucks have been stalled at the Kerem Shalom crossing and have yet to reach those in need, prompting growing international pressure for quicker aid deliveries.
A spokesperson for the German government remarked that the aid is “far too little, too late, and too slow,” stating that the delivery of supplies needs significant enhancement.
The Israeli military announced it conducted further strikes in Gaza overnight, targeting 75 locations, including weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers.
Palestinian medical services report that at least 25 people lost their lives in these strikes.
Israel imposed its blockade on Gaza in early March, accusing Hamas of diverting aid meant for civilians, shortly before ending a two-month ceasefire after negotiations on its extension stalled.
Hamas has rejected these allegations, claiming that many of its members have died protecting the trucks from looters.
‘Systematic’ destruction
WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan emphasized that 2.1 million people in Gaza are “in imminent danger of death.”
“We must end the starvation, release all hostages, and restore the health system,” he stated.
Dr Tom Potokar said people had not eaten meat, fruit, and vegetables for months
“All hostages must be released. Their families are suffering. Their families are in pain,” he added.
The WHO reported that Gazans are facing acute shortages of food, water, medical supplies, fuel, and shelter.
In the past week, four major hospitals have had to halt medical services due to their proximity to conflict zones or evacuation areas, and attacks.
Only 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain operational, with staff working under “impossible conditions,” as stated by the UN health agency.
“At least 94% of all hospitals in the Gaza Strip are damaged or destroyed,” it reported, noting that north Gaza “has been stripped of nearly all health care.”
It added that across the Palestinian territory, only 2,000 hospital beds remain available—a figure “grossly insufficient to meet current needs.”
“The destruction is systematic. Hospitals are restored and resupplied, only to be subjected to hostilities or attacked again. This destructive cycle must end,” it concluded.
British plastic surgeon Dr. Tom Potokar, currently in Gaza, stated that nowhere is safe in the enclave due to ongoing Israeli bombardments.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he noted the challenge in locating intensive care beds at this moment, although patients on ventilators have been successfully transferred to other facilities.
He mentioned that bombardments are causing skeletal and soft tissue injuries, with patients arriving at hospitals with open wounds, traumatic brain injuries, and burn injuries.
Dr. Potokar indicated that residents had not consumed meat, fruit, or vegetables for months, primarily relying on rice, cereal, and pasta, though these items are in short supply.
Read more: Gaza health system at ‘breaking point’ amid shortages
‘Wrong side of history’ – Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the leaders of France, Britain, and Canada of wanting to assist Hamas after they threatened to take “concrete action” if Israel did not cease its latest offensive in Gaza.
This criticism, which mirrors remarks from Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, forms part of the Israeli government’s counteraction to increasing international pressure regarding the situation in Gaza.
“You’re on the wrong side of humanity and history,” Mr. Netanyahu stated.
