The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Wednesday that Israel has permitted less than one-third of the agreed number of humanitarian aid trucks to enter Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, deepening fears of worsening hunger across the war-ravaged territory.
Ross Smith, the WFP’s emergency response coordinator, told CNN that Israel had pledged to allow 600 aid trucks into Gaza each day under the truce agreement. “That promise has not been met,” he said. “Over the past four days, fewer than 200 trucks have entered daily.”
Smith described the situation inside Gaza as “incredibly desperate,” pointing to widespread destruction and displacement.
“As the recent reports have shown, more than half a million people are now facing famine. Infrastructure, roads, and shelters have been destroyed. People are constantly on the move, without food or a roof over their heads,” he said.
Earlier this week, Israel’s public broadcaster reported that the Israeli government had decided to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, following the recovery of the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Tuesday.
The same report noted that Israel had canceled earlier plans to reduce by half the number of aid trucks entering the enclave — a measure previously intended as a form of pressure on Hamas.
Despite these developments, aid agencies say access remains dangerously insufficient. The WFP and other humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that delays, restrictions, and fuel shortages are pushing Gaza closer to an irreversible famine, particularly among children.
Smith concluded with a stark warning:
“People are starving — not because there is no food in the world, but because it cannot reach them. Without full, safe, and consistent access, we will lose more lives every day.”
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