By Sally Goldman

As the war drags on and the blockade remains in place, more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are enduring one of the worst humanitarian crises in the territory’s modern history. The situation has prompted urgent calls from international actors for immediate aid deliveries, amid conflicting political positions — notably from the United States and Israel.

President Donald Trump, in his first public comments on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, addressed the issue during a White House press briefing:

“The United States is committed to ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches the Palestinian people in Gaza. We are coordinating with our partners in the region to deliver food, medicine, and fuel — but we will not allow any of that aid to be diverted to terrorism.”

President Trump confirmed that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will deploy emergency relief, but emphasized that strict oversight mechanisms will be in place to ensure the aid benefits only civilians.

The Israeli government, for its part, maintains that it is not blocking humanitarian assistance to Gaza. However, it accuses Hamas of “seizing aid and using it to strengthen its military infrastructure.”

“Israel is not preventing the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. We coordinate daily with international organizations to ensure the delivery of essential goods. However, we will not permit materials to be exploited by Hamas for military purposes.”

He added that Israeli forces have uncovered multiple cases in recent months in which aid trucks were allegedly used to smuggle equipment for rocket production and tunnel construction.

National Security Minister Tzipi Stein echoed this during a session at the Knesset:

“Israel cannot accept a situation where militants underground are fed and armed, while civilians above suffer. This is first and foremost Hamas’s responsibility — not Israel’s.”

On the ground, humanitarian organizations are warning of an impending catastrophe. The World Health Organization reports that 95% of Gaza’s medical facilities are out of service, due to fuel shortages and power outages.

Oxfam stated that some children are surviving on leaves and animal feed, while UNICEF warned that one in four children in Gaza is at risk of acute malnutrition.

Still, the delivery of aid remains painfully slow, with Israeli inspections delaying many shipments and disagreements over distribution mechanisms within Gaza complicating the process further.

Inside Gaza, ordinary civilians continue to suffer. Abu Mohammed, a father of six in Gaza City’s al-Tuffah neighborhood, described his family’s struggle:

“We are hostages in a war we did not choose. We just want food, water, and safety for our children. We’re not asking for anything more than the chance to live.”

With no long-term political solution in sight, pressure is mounting for an international agreement to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid while insulating it from political and military exploitation. Until then, Gaza remains trapped — between blockade and battlefield.