Doctors Without Borders accuses Israel of using humanitarian aid as a weapon in Gaza, as aid blockades threaten millions of desperate civilians already facing shortages of food, water, and medicine.
Quick Takes
- Israel has halted all humanitarian aid to Gaza despite the ceasefire, cutting off essential supplies including food, fuel, and medicine
- The blockade has disabled crucial infrastructure, including water desalination plants that serve Gaza’s population
- Aid organizations condemn the blockade as “collective punishment” and a violation of international humanitarian law
- Israeli authorities are using humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip in ceasefire negotiations with Hamas
- Doctors Without Borders warns the blockade is having “deadly consequences” for Gaza’s 2 million residents
Israel’s Aid Blockade Threatens Gaza’s Survival
Israel’s decision to block humanitarian aid entering Gaza has left aid groups scrambling to help over 2 million Palestinians facing critical shortages. According to Doctors Without Borders and other humanitarian organizations, Israeli authorities have completely halted the flow of essential supplies, including food, medicine, and fuel since late February. The blockade comes amid broader tensions over extending the ceasefire with Hamas, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempting to pressure Hamas to release more hostages by restricting aid to civilians.
The consequences of this aid suspension are severe and far-reaching. Israel has cut electricity to two major desalination plants, severely limiting water access for Gaza’s population. Without fuel deliveries, humanitarian operations are grinding to a halt as their reserves run dry. The situation threatens to unravel the limited progress made during the initial ceasefire phase, when aid organizations had begun scaling up efforts to prevent widespread famine in the region.
#Gaza: Doctors Without Borders condemns the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, depriving people of essential services like water and electricity.
Using humanitarian needs as a bargaining chip amounts to collective punishment and must be stopped.https://t.co/uuqJUBPmzD
— Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (@MSF_canada) March 11, 2025
Aid Organizations Condemn “Weaponization” of Humanitarian Assistance
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has taken a firm stance against what it describes as Israel’s manipulation of humanitarian aid. The organization emphasizes that basic necessities for survival should never be used as leverage in conflict negotiations, regardless of political circumstances. The last supplies MSF managed to get into Gaza were on February 27, consisting primarily of medical supplies that are rapidly being depleted as the blockade continues.
“Israeli authorities are yet again normalizing the use of aid as a negotiation tool,” said Myriam Laaroussi, MSF emergency coordinator. “Humanitarian aid should never be used as a bargaining chip in war. The blockade on all supplies is inevitably hurting hundreds of thousands of people and is having deadly consequences.”
Other humanitarian organizations have joined in condemning the blockade. Oxfam called Israel’s decision to block aid “a reckless act of collective punishment” that violates international humanitarian law. The International Committee of the Red Cross and UN agencies have echoed these concerns, emphasizing that even during conflict, civilians retain the right to basic necessities. Meanwhile, aid workers on the ground report having supplies ready but no way to deliver them.
Aid System Crippled by Restrictions and Bureaucracy
Even before the complete blockade, aid organizations faced significant obstacles in delivering assistance to Gaza. MSF and other groups report that Israel’s aid entry system is deliberately designed to obstruct humanitarian operations. Non-transparent pre-clearance requirements, arbitrary rejections of dual-use items (civilian goods that might have military applications), and complex bureaucratic procedures have severely limited aid delivery capacity, even during periods when some aid was allowed through the checkpoints.
The situation in Gaza has become catastrophic for its 2 million residents, most of whom are now internally displaced. With infrastructure destroyed, shelter limited, and basic supplies unavailable, humanitarian groups warn that Gaza faces a full-scale humanitarian collapse. The International Court of Justice is currently reviewing a case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, with the aid blockade cited as evidence of intent to harm the civilian population. As tensions escalate over the ceasefire extension, Palestinians fear a return to intense bombardment if negotiations fail.
