'Israel' to halt airdrops, aid in north Gaza as it expands offensive
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With the humanitarian crisis already hitting catastrophic levels, any such halt will spell disaster for the Palestinians.
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Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli military strike in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Saturday, Aug 30, 2025 (AP)
“Israel” is preparing to severely reduce the already meager humanitarian aid deliveries into northern Gaza as its military intensifies operations in the area, according to an official source cited by AP on Saturday. The move comes just a day after “Israel” declared Gaza City a combat zone.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that airdrops over Gaza City will be suspended in the coming days, while the number of aid trucks entering northern Gaza will be reduced. The measure is part of preparations to forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians further south.
On Friday, “Israel” ended daytime pauses that had been temporarily allowing limited aid delivery, while describing Gaza City as a "Hamas stronghold". Despite previous large-scale raids, “Israel” insists that tunnels remain operational there.
UN, Red Cross warn of catastrophic consequences
In recent days, “Israel’s” military has intensified bombardments around Gaza City, where international food security experts recently confirmed famine conditions.
Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, warned that forced evacuations of Gaza City would lead to “massive population movement that no area in the Gaza Strip can absorb,” citing the collapse of infrastructure and severe shortages of food, water, shelter, and medical supplies.
“It is impossible that such an evacuation could be conducted in a safe and dignified manner,” she said.
Previous warnings by the United Nations have stressed that these aid measures fall far short of the minimum 600 trucks required daily to meet basic needs in Gaza.
Hundreds of families have already begun fleeing Gaza City, carrying their belongings on carts and pickup trucks. Many have been displaced multiple times since the beginning of the war.
“There is no food and even water is not available. When it is available, it is unsafe to drink,” Amer Zayed, a displaced resident in Deir al-Balah, told AP. “The suffering gets worse when more people are forced to move here.”
Mounting death toll
Health officials at Al-Awda Hospital reported that four Palestinians were killed Saturday by Israeli gunfire as they tried to reach aid in central Gaza. Gaza’s Health Ministry said 15 people were killed and more than 200 were injured in similar incidents within 24 hours.
The Ministry also confirmed that 10 Palestinians, including three children, died from starvation and malnutrition over the same period. Since the beginning of the war, at least 332 Palestinians, including 124 children, have lost their lives due to hunger-related causes.
The overall Palestinian death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 63,371, according to the Health Ministry, which reports that more than half of the casualties are women and children.
