There is still hunger in Gaza: aid must be accelerated

The bombing has stopped in Gaza, and the Israeli hostage crisis is already on the way to a solution with the return of the living and soon also the dead. It seems that for now, at least while the celebrations presided over by Donald Trump last, the war will not resume. There are a thousand unknowns about the future, but for the first time in a long time, there is hope that the ceasefire will hold. But what hasn't changed is hunger. People in Gaza are still starving. That's why the arrival yesterday of the first trucks of humanitarian aid from Egypt is one of the best news stories of recent days. Despite the constant difficulty in reporting on the Strip—it is urgent that the ceasefire allow the international press to enter the area—it is estimated that some 400 trucks will have been able to enter throughout the day, and the expected arrival rate is 600 per day from now on. The UN and other humanitarian organizations have hundreds waiting to gain access, but they complain that the pace is slow due to Israel's tight border controls, and are calling for more crossing points to be opened.

This isn't the only problem. As seen in the video and photo images that have arrived, a good number of these trucks have once again been attacked along the way by crowds of people, mostly young and strong men, making orderly distribution to those most in need difficult. As Oxfam's humanitarian response advisor in Gaza, Chris McIntosh, explained to Al Jazeera, it is not only essential to reestablish the constant flow of aid as quickly as possible, but also to ensure the passage of trucks and prevent looting. In a Gaza without order or control, the law of the mightiest has, as expected, imposed itself, further aggravating the situation. And, in the process, it plays into the hands of the Israeli government, as the images contribute to the dehumanization of Palestinians it so persecutes.

Internal clashes within the Strip—just yesterday there were gunfights between Hamas members and organized gangs—are not new, but they don't help much. Yesterday, the Gaza government, still controlled by Hamas, announced that it would pardon gang members involved in looting if they are not convicted of murder. After two years of war and in a desperate situation, insecurity and violence among the Strip's own inhabitants are not uncommon.

But this insecurity, deliberately provoked, is what led Israel to place all aid distribution in the hands of the American organization GHF, which since May has been distributing food in the Strip using a system that has been widely criticized, as people waiting in line for food have died at the distribution points. The GHF, in fact, has already announced that it was withdrawing from one of the distribution points in the center of the Strip because the Israeli army, which provided protection, has also withdrawn from there. The chaotic situation that may now exist in the Strip is an added danger because it has not even been decided which international forces will provide security and monitor the ceasefire. The truth is that there is still hunger in Gaza; the situation remains extremely vulnerable for the civilian population, and it is vital that the international community, which is now applauding the ceasefire, not forget what is missing: food, intensive nutrition for the malnourished, hospital supplies, aid personnel, and also security.