Palestinians in Gaza swarmed and offloaded dozens of food trucks over the weekend, the U.N. World Food Program said Saturday, underscoring growing desperation amid Israel’s months-long blockade.
The WFP said 77 aid trucks – most loaded with flour – were intercepted by starving residents before they could reach their intended destinations.
Israel’s nearly three-month siege has pushed Gaza’s population of more than 2 million to the brink of famine.
Though Israel recently allowed limited aid into the enclave, humanitarian groups say it falls far short of what’s needed.
Meanwhile, cease-fire negotiations remain slow.
Hamas said Friday it is reviewing a U.S.-backed proposal for a temporary truce that Israeli officials have already approved.
U.S. President Donald Trump said talks were inching toward a deal.
A cease-fire would pause the fighting for 60 days, release some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and allow for much-needed food and other assistance, according to Hamas and Egyptian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The WFP said fear of starvation in Gaza remains high despite the aid now entering.
“We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming,” it said in a statement, adding that it has more than 140,000 metric tons of food – enough to feed Gazans for two months – ready to be brought in.
A witness in the southern city of Khan Younis told The Associated Press that the U.N. convoy was stopped at a makeshift roadblock and offloaded by desperate civilians.
Most people carried bags of flour. At one point, a forklift was used to offload pallets. The witness spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.
The United Nations said earlier this month that Israeli authorities have forced them to use unsecured routes within areas controlled by Israel’s military in the eastern parts of Rafah and Khan Younis, where armed gangs are active and trucks have been stopped.
Israel’s military did not immediately respond to questions.
An internal document shared with aid groups about security incidents, seen by the AP, said there were four incidents of facilities being looted in three days at the end of May, not including Saturday’s.
The U.N. says it has been unable to get enough aid in because of fighting. On Friday, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said it picked up only five truckloads of cargo from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the other 60 trucks had to return due to intense hostilities.
A new U.S.- and Israeli-backed foundation started operations in Gaza this week, distributing food at several sites in a chaotic rollout.
Israel says the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation eventually will replace the aid operation carried out by the U.N. and others during nearly 20 months of war. It says the new mechanism is necessary, accusing Hamas of siphoning off large amounts of aid.
The U.N. denies that significant diversion takes place.
The GHF works with armed contractors, which it says are needed to distribute food safely. Aid groups have accused the foundation of militarizing aid.
Israel continued its military campaign across Gaza, saying it struck dozens of targets over the past day. Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 60 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours.
The ministry said three people were killed by Israeli gunfire early Saturday in Rafah.
Three others – parents and a child – were killed when their car was struck in Gaza City. An Israeli strike hit another car in Gaza City, killing four. Another strike hit a tent sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, killing six, said Weam Fares, a spokesperson for Nasser Hospital.
The war began following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, incursion on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Of those taken captive, 58 remain in Gaza. Israeli strikes have killed more than 54,000 Gaza residents, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
