Israel Announces Aid Measures Amid International Outcry Over Gaza Starvation

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 2052 EAT on Sunday 27 July 2025

Facing escalating international condemnation over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israel has introduced a set of measures it claims will bolster aid efforts and counter allegations that it is responsible for widespread starvation.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the steps are intended to “improve the humanitarian response.” They include airdrops of aid, with Israel conducting the first overnight operation, followed by a second drop carried out by the United Arab Emirates later on Sunday.

The IDF also announced a “tactical pause in military activity” in select areas, alongside the creation of “designated humanitarian corridors” — efforts it says are aimed at disproving “false claims of intentional starvation.”

Hamas swiftly condemned the announcement, calling the moves a “deception” and accusing Israel of “whitewashing its image before the world.”

Despite announcing new humanitarian measures in Gaza, Israel carried out an airstrike during the so-called “tactical pause” in military operations. Reports from the scene say the strike killed a mother, Wafaa Harara, and her four children — Sara, Areej, Judy, and Iyad.

Israel continues to deny responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza and maintains that it is not restricting aid. However, these assertions are rejected by key international actors, including European allies, the United Nations, and aid agencies operating in the region.

The recently announced measures — including aid airdrops, limited pauses in fighting, and humanitarian corridors — may reflect a tacit acknowledgment by Israel that more must be done. More likely, they are intended as a diplomatic gesture to appease allies who have sharply criticized Israel over the worsening conditions in Gaza.

On Friday, 25 July, Britain, France, and Germany issued a rare joint statement:

“We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and urgently allow the UN and humanitarian NGOs to carry out their work in order to take action against starvation. Israel must uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law.”

Following a complete blockade of aid earlier in the conflict, Israel has since imposed strict controls on what is allowed into Gaza and how it moves.

Alongside the United States, it has established a new aid distribution mechanism — the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — designed to replace the existing UN-led system. Israel claims Hamas has been diverting UN aid, but the United Nations says it is still waiting for evidence to support those allegations.

Concerns Mount Over GHF Aid System as UN Refuses to Cooperate

The United Nations and other humanitarian agencies have refused to participate in the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), describing it as an inhumane and militarised aid system. According to the UN, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been shot and killed while attempting to access aid at the GHF’s four designated distribution sites.

Further allegations have surfaced from within the system itself. A retired U.S. Special Forces colonel who worked with the GHF in Gaza says he witnessed American personnel and Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers opening fire on civilians. Both the U.S. and the IDF have denied targeting civilians.

The mounting criticism underscores a growing rift between Israel and international aid organizations, many of which say the current aid distribution model fails to meet basic humanitarian standards and violates principles of neutrality and civilian protection.

Jonathan Whittall, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has publicly condemned the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), describing its operations as a form of “weaponised hunger.”

In a post on social media a month ago, Whittall wrote:

“Conditions created to kill… what we are seeing is carnage. It is weaponised hunger. It is forced displacement. It’s a death sentence for people just trying to survive. It appears to be the erasure of Palestinian life.”

Shortly afterward, Israeli authorities informed him that his visa would not be renewed — a move seen by many as retaliation for his outspoken criticism.

Whittall’s comments reflect growing concern among international agencies about the GHF, which has been described by humanitarian organizations as a militarised and unsafe system.

The UN and several NGOs have refused to cooperate with the GHF, citing both security concerns and ethical objections. According to the UN, over 1,000 Palestinians have been shot dead while trying to access food from GHF-run aid sites.

These developments further isolate Israel diplomatically and deepen the rift between its military-led aid efforts and the international humanitarian community.

Humanitarian Concerns Deepen as Gaza Aid Drops Fail to Address Crisis

Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has been moving in and out of Gaza since the war began. However, his access now appears to be ending unless Israel reverses its decision not to renew his visa. Whittall has repeatedly condemned ongoing IDF military operations, stating that “there remains an abhorrent disregard for humanitarian law.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant are already facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) last year.

They are accused of joint criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation used as a method of warfare, as well as crimes against humanity including murder and persecution. Netanyahu, Gallant, and the Israeli government vehemently deny these allegations.

In an attempt to showcase humanitarian efforts, Israel released grainy footage of a transport plane dropping aid pallets into Gaza during the night. The IDF said seven packages containing flour, sugar, and tinned food were delivered, with lines of parachutes billowing out from the aircraft.

In previous conflicts, aid drops have been made both from aircraft and closer to the ground as supplies land. However, air-dropping aid is generally seen as an act of desperation. While it may create a positive image on television and offer a symbolic gesture that something is being done, it is a crude process with limited practical impact.

Such drops alone will not resolve the hunger crisis in Gaza. Only a ceasefire combined with an unrestricted, long-term aid operation can effectively alleviate starvation. Notably, even the largest transport planes deliver far less aid than a small convoy of trucks on the ground.

In Iraqi Kurdistan, following the 1991 Gulf War, the US, UK, and allied forces conducted extensive humanitarian airdrops using C-130 transport aircraft. These missions delivered army rations, sleeping bags, and surplus winter uniforms to tens of thousands of Kurdish refugees struggling to survive exposed to mud and snow high in the mountains along Iraq’s border with Turkey.

I had the opportunity to fly on these missions and witnessed firsthand the British and American airmen releasing aid from the rear cargo ramps of the planes, thousands of feet above the desperate people below. The sight was both humbling and stark — the aid falling slowly through the cold air, a lifeline dropped from the sky to those trapped in harsh conditions.

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