A timeline of Israel’s weaponisation of aid to Gaza

Over the course of its devastating conflict in the Gaza Strip, Israel has repeatedly used international aid and food as a means of collective pressure on Palestinians.

Throughout the entire war, civilians in the enclave have experienced severe food shortages and famine-like conditions. During a deteriorating man-made humanitarian disaster, thousands of children have died from starvation, and countless others have fallen victim to injuries or preventable illnesses.

After re-barging the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid in the besieged enclave in early March, Israeli authorities continue to starve Palestinians in the besieged enclave, which is home to 2.3 million people. Additionally, on March 18, Israel unilaterally violated a ceasefire that had been in place since January, launching new attacks across Gaza and killing hundreds more Palestinians.

The people of Gaza are quickly suffering because of the bombs and the oppressive humanitarian situation, but it hasn’t stopped until October 2023, when the conflict first started. How Israel has used aid to punish Gaza, in this context:

October 2023

October 9: Israel declares a “total blockade” of all food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity in the Gaza Strip.

Yoav Gallant, the then-minister of defense, has ordered a “complete siege” and promises action against “human animals.”

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges that include “war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare” (WWF).

As the Israeli military continues its deadly bombing campaign in Gaza on October 21 via a land route from Egypt.

After international pressure, the Israeli military finally permits a sizable number of aid trucks to enter the region.

November 2023

November 24: Israel and Hamas reach a temporary truce, which allows for a slight increase in the humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

According to the UN and other international aid organizations, Gaza’s population’s needs are so great that they are largely children’s needs are greatly underreported.

There is no guarantee that the conflict will end or that Palestinians who were forced out of their homes as a result of the fighting will return because of the temporary cessation of the attacks. This allows for a number of sporadic exchanges of Palestinian prisoners held in Gaza and by Israel.

On March 25, 2025, a Palestinian girl inspects damage at the site of an Israeli attack on a house in Deir el-Balah in the center of Gaza.

A week after the initial ceasefire, the Gaza truce comes to an end, and Hamas figures are among the victims of additional Israeli attacks that continue to target civilians, journalists, aid workers, and doctors.

February 2024

In a “flour massacre,” Israel fires at least 112 Palestinians and wounds more than 750 others southwest of Gaza City while attempting to deliver food to Palestinians waiting for food aid.

The Israeli military frequently attacks life-saving aid convoys with the slogan “terrorists” but without providing any supporting evidence.

The Israeli government intentionally obstructs numerous aid trucks intended for the enclave, according to reports from the UN and other international organizations and aid workers.

Aid convoys are attacked and looted as a result of Israeli attacks, as well as the restrictions on humanitarian aid and the dire conditions created by Israeli ground offensives and destruction across Gaza.

Far-right Israelis frequently attack aid convoys or attempt to halt their entry into Gaza.

April 2024

Six international aid workers and a Palestinian driver are killed when Israeli drone strikes strike an aid convoy and the World Central Kitchen (WCK) on April 1.

Similar to many other international aid organizations that temporarily or permanently stop providing aid to Palestinians, the WCK is forced to stop its humanitarian operations.

The three WCK vehicles were intentionally hit, according to an investigation conducted by Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification agency, adding to the number of fatalities total for Palestinian aid workers since Israel’s start of its war on Gaza.

October 2024

On October 6, the Israeli military begins a massive siege on northern Gaza, naming the entire area a combat zone, and issuing forced evacuation orders to Palestinians.

A ceasefire with Hamas will take effect on January 19, 2025, when the siege on the north is followed by Israeli attacks across other parts of Gaza.

Israel severely restricts humanitarian aid entering Gaza during the wintertime due to the low temperatures.

In favor of a ceasefire, far-right Israeli government ministers, including finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, demand the blockade of all humanitarian aid and military occupation of Gaza.

Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalal Smotrich — Israeli leaders Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, both of whom lead the far-right Religious Zionist Party, have opposed all attempts to stop the conflict and claim that in Gaza should be built Israeli settlements.

January 2025

January 19: Gaza’s implementation of the ceasefire will result in a surge of humanitarian aid, which relief organizations claim will require sustained persistence for a long period of time before life can resume its normality.

In the days following the truce, Israel allows more trucks to enter Gaza, but the amount of aid is much lower than what was agreed upon during the ceasefire.

The Israeli government prevents the entry of thousands of mobile homes intended to house displaced Palestinians as babies pass away from the cold, along with heavy equipment needed to clear the rubble of destroyed homes and infrastructure.

March 2025

March 10: UNRWA’s head of UN agency, Philippe Lazzarini, warns of a new humanitarian aid crisis in Gaza and accuses Israel of using humanitarian aid as a weapon.
March 18: On the first day alone, Israel’s military launches one of the heaviest bombing campaigns against Gaza yet, killing more than 400 Palestinians and injuring more than 500, many of whom are children.
March 25: Following an Israeli airstrike on March 19 that left a Bulgarian UN employee dead and six other foreign workers seriously injured, the UN announced it would withdraw 30% of its international staff from Gaza.