Israel Allows Limited Aid into Gaza Amid Starvation Warnings

Following an 11-week blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza, severe food shortages have led residents to resort to baking bread from soaked pasta due to scarce and expensive flour supplies, with many bakeries closing. Recently, Israel allowed a limited number of aid trucks carrying flour, baby food, and medical supplies into Gaza, enabling some bakeries to resume operations, though the aid remains insufficient to meet the vast humanitarian needs of the 2 million residents. Aid officials and former U.S. envoys warn that many more trucks will be necessary to prevent famine, as current shipments are described as a 'drop in the ocean' compared to pre-blockade levels. The blockade and ongoing conflict have resulted in thousands of Palestinian deaths, including starvation-related fatalities among children and the elderly. Despite some aid entering Gaza, concerns persist about the potential for looting and the difficulty of distributing supplies to the most vulnerable populations. Israeli officials maintain the blockade aims to disarm Hamas, while international organizations call for significantly increased humanitarian access to address the crisis.