International NGOs Claim Aid Is Being Used as a Political Tool
Over 100 aid groups, including Oxfam, CARE, and Doctors Without Borders, say Israel’s new rules are keeping life-saving help out of Gaza. They claim the process is being used to control and limit humanitarian work. Since March, many groups have been blocked from bringing food, medicine, and clean water into Gaza. They say this has left millions of dollars’ worth of supplies stuck at border points while people face severe hunger.
According to their statement, Israeli authorities rejected more than 60 requests for aid deliveries in July alone. The groups say they were told they were “not authorized” to provide the supplies.
Supplies Worth Millions Left at Borders
Several organizations have given details about the aid they cannot deliver. Anera, a U.S.-based relief group, says it has $7 million worth of supplies, including 744 tons of rice, sitting in the Israeli port of Ashdod just a short distance from Gaza. This rice could provide around six million meals.
CARE has $1.5 million worth of food parcels, medical supplies, and hygiene kits ready, but nothing has been allowed in since March. Oxfam reports $2.5 million worth of water and sanitation items are also stuck.
The groups say these delays are making the crisis worse and are costing lives.
New Registration Rules Raise Concerns
The restrictions come from new rules set in March that require aid groups to share full lists of donors and Palestinian staff. Israel says this is for security checks. But aid organizations say the rules also allow authorities to block them for vague political reasons, such as accusations of “delegitimizing” Israel or supporting boycotts.
Bushra Khalidi from Oxfam says the rules put NGOs in a position where they may have to give up their independence and stay silent on certain issues just to be allowed to work.
Israeli Response and Deadly Aid Distributions
The Israeli agency COGAT says aid is not blocked unless groups refuse to meet security checks. They say hundreds of trucks are still going into Gaza daily from groups that completed registration.
But another issue has made the crisis worse. In May, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the U.S., replaced the United Nations as the main aid distributor. UN figures show that since late May, over 1,370 people have died while trying to collect aid, with most deaths happening near GHF distribution points. UN experts have called the GHF dangerous and say it should be shut down immediately.
Personal Analysis
From my view, this is not only about supplies but about trust and political control. Aid is meant to reach people in need without delay. When rules and politics get in the way, the people who suffer most are civilians. Even if security concerns are valid, the current system seems to punish entire communities rather than address targeted risks. The fact that so much food and medicine is sitting unused while hunger grows shows that the system is broken. If the goal is to help people, then both Israel and the aid groups need to find a way to allow urgent deliveries without putting staff or security at risk.
Sources: CBC
