Doctors Without Borders accuses Israel of weaponizing humanitarian aid in Gaza, as a complete blockade leaves two million Palestinians without essential supplies during critical ceasefire negotiations.
Key Takeaways
- Israel has imposed a complete blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza as leverage in ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, cutting off food, fuel, medicine, and other critical supplies.
- The blockade has shut down electricity to desalination plants, severely restricting water supplies for Gaza’s population.
- Doctors Without Borders reports their last supplies entered Gaza on February 27, consisting primarily of medical supplies, as fuel shortages threaten their ongoing operations.
- Multiple humanitarian organizations have condemned the aid freeze as collective punishment and a violation of international humanitarian law.
- Gaza’s civilian population, mostly displaced and sheltering in temporary accommodations, faces rising prices for basic goods amid the aid suspension.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as Aid Halted
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated sharply as Israeli authorities have completely halted the flow of aid into the territory. According to reports from aid organizations working in the region, supplies of food, medicine, and fuel remain stranded outside Gaza’s borders while negotiations over a ceasefire extension continue. The blockade has created immediate concerns about the sustainability of medical care, water access, and food security for Gaza’s civilian population of approximately two million people, most of whom are now internally displaced.
Aid organizations report that despite having supplies prepared and ready for distribution, they cannot deliver essential resources to those in need. The suspension threatens to reverse progress made during the initial phase of the ceasefire in preventing famine conditions. Without consistent supply lines, humanitarian groups are forced to ration dwindling resources while need continues to grow, particularly among vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, and those with chronic medical conditions requiring ongoing care.
#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
Water Crisis Escalates as Infrastructure Targeted
One of the most severe impacts of the blockade involves water access for Gaza’s population. Israeli authorities have cut electricity to two major desalination plants responsible for providing fresh water to Gaza’s residents. With electricity suspended, these critical facilities must operate on limited fuel reserves, drastically reducing water production capacity. The main water desalination plant in Khan Younis has been particularly affected, operating at minimal capacity as fuel supplies dwindle amid the blockade.
“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.”
The water shortage compounds existing challenges related to sanitation and hygiene in overcrowded displacement centers where most Gazans now reside. Without reliable access to clean water, health officials warn of increased risk of waterborne disease outbreaks, particularly concerning given Gaza’s compromised healthcare system. International aid organizations have warned that without immediate restoration of water infrastructure access, preventable secondary health crises may emerge alongside ongoing conflict-related injuries.
Aid Organizations Condemn Blockade as Collective Punishment
Multiple humanitarian organizations have strongly condemned Israel’s actions, characterizing the aid blockade as “collective punishment” prohibited under international humanitarian law. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been particularly vocal in its criticism, noting that their last successful supply delivery to Gaza occurred on February 27, consisting primarily of medical supplies. The organization reports that their ability to provide care is severely compromised by dwindling resources.
Aid organizations also report that even before the complete blockade, Israeli authorities maintained a complex system of pre-clearance requirements and rejections of “dual-use” items that significantly hindered the humanitarian response. This system has been criticized for lacking transparency and creating unnecessary bottlenecks in the aid pipeline. MSF and other organizations have called on the international community, particularly Israel’s allies including the United States, to exert pressure to end the blockade and prevent further deterioration of humanitarian conditions.
Strategic Context of Aid Suspension
The aid blockade coincides with negotiations over extending the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has reportedly implemented the measure to pressure Hamas to extend the ceasefire agreement and release additional hostages. This strategic use of humanitarian access has raised serious concerns about the weaponization of civilian needs in conflict negotiation. The International Court of Justice is currently reviewing a case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, with the aid blockade potentially relevant to those proceedings.
Palestinians within Gaza have expressed fear about the potential for renewed intense conflict if ceasefire negotiations collapse. Many residents already face severe shortages of basic goods, with prices for essential items increasing dramatically due to scarcity. The destruction of infrastructure and housing has left most of Gaza’s population dependent on humanitarian assistance, making the aid blockade particularly devastating for a population with few alternatives for securing necessities.
