CITIZENS NEWS

U.S. pressures Israel to allow Gaza aid, but starvation crisis worsens as deliveries fall short

By isabelle // 2025-05-22

• U.S. diplomatic pressure helped aid flow into Gaza, but only in minimal, insufficient amounts.
• UN officials warn 14,000 children could die soon without urgent food deliveries, as Israel’s bureaucratic delays prevent most aid from reaching desperate civilians.
• Human rights groups condemn Israel’s blockade as collective punishment, a war crime, with half a million Palestinians facing catastrophic hunger and famine.
• Despite Netanyahu admitting U.S. pressure forced limited aid access, Israel continues bombing civilian infrastructure while restricting lifesaving supplies.

  The Trump administration is finally acknowledging what human rights groups have warned for months: Israel’s blockade of Gaza has pushed millions to the brink of starvation. In a rare admission, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that American diplomatic pressure led Israel to allow a trickle of aid into Gaza, although the amounts remain woefully insufficient. At a Senate hearing, Rubio conceded that the aid entering Gaza is not in "sufficient amounts" for its 2.1 million residents, even as UN officials warn that 14,000 children could die within days without urgent food deliveries. While the U.S. continues to proclaim unwavering support for Israel, the diplomatic rift is widening. The Trump administration, despite its pro-Israel stance, has pursued talks with Iran and Yemen’s Houthis, both adversaries of Israel, while Western allies threaten sanctions over Israel’s brutal siege. Meanwhile, Israel’s claims about allowing aid into Gaza are being exposed as a calculated deception, with reports revealing that most supplies remain stuck at crossings due to deliberate bureaucratic delays.

Aid as a political weapon

For more than 11 weeks, Israel imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza, cutting off food, medicine, and fuel in what human rights groups describe as collective punishment, which is a war crime under international law. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that half a million Palestinians now face "catastrophic" hunger, with famine imminent if aid does not surge immediately. Despite Israel’s recent claims of allowing aid trucks in, UN agencies report that only a fraction of pre-war levels are reaching Gaza. Before the war, 500 trucks entered daily; now, barely 100 have been permitted in recent days, which is far below what’s needed to stave off mass starvation. Even the limited aid that enters faces further obstruction. Trucks are forced to wait for Israeli military approval before distribution, leaving lifesaving supplies stranded while children starve. "A bag of wheat flour now costs $500 in Gaza," said WFP’s Antoine Renard, highlighting the economic collapse under Israel’s siege.

U.S. complicity in Israel’s starvation tactics

While Rubio claims U.S. "engagement" forced Israel’s hand, critics argue Washington’s support has enabled the crisis. The Trump administration has refused to demand an immediate ceasefire or full aid access, instead greenlighting Israel’s military assault, which has killed over 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Netanyahu himself admitted that pressure from allies, including U.S. senators, influenced his decision to allow minimal aid. "Our best friends in the world… have warned that they cannot support us if images of mass starvation emerge," he said. Despite this, his government continues to restrict aid while bombing civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and bakeries. The U.S. has also backed a controversial Israeli plan to replace UN aid distribution with a new entity—the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—staffed by private security contractors. Aid groups reject the scheme, warning it will forcibly displace Palestinians and allow Israel to control who receives aid.

Global outcry grows as Israel’s lies unravel

Israel’s narrative of "self-defense" is crumbling under the weight of evidence. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes, including using starvation as a weapon. Meanwhile, Western allies like the UK, France, and Canada have condemned Israel’s actions as "wholly inadequate" and threatened sanctions. The crisis in Gaza is not just a humanitarian disaster; it is a moral litmus test for the United States. While Rubio and the Trump administration tout minor concessions, Palestinians continue to die from bombs and starvation. If Washington truly values human rights, it must demand an immediate ceasefire, full aid access, and an end to Israel’s apartheid policies. Anything less is complicity in genocide.   Sources for this article include: AlJazeera.com TimesOfIsrael.com News.UN.org APNews.com

Israel starvation famine genocide humanitarian crisis Gaza