Fifteen trucks belonging to the World Food Programme (WFP) were stolen late last night in southern Gaza while they were headed to bakeries supported by the WFP, the United Nations agency reported. “These vehicles were delivering essential food supplies to populations in urgent need of assistance,” the agency stated. This incident poses a setback to ongoing efforts aimed at aiding Gaza’s most vulnerable communities, particularly after Israel permitted a limited number of aid trucks to enter Gaza earlier this week, following an extensive 11-week blockade. According to the WFP, residents of Gaza are currently grappling with “hunger, desperation, and uncertainty regarding the arrival of more food aid,” which they indicated is exacerbating rising security concerns. “We require cooperation from Israeli authorities to facilitate the rapid and consistent delivery of larger quantities of food assistance through safer routes, as was achieved during the ceasefire,” the agency emphasized.
This incident occurred just a day after approximately 90 trucks filled with food, nutritional supplies, medications, and other vital resources began moving from the Kerem Shalom crossing into deeper areas of the enclave. Video footage shared by the WFP depicted workers transporting flour sacks into a vacant warehouse and preparing dough for baking. In follow-up online communications, the agency announced that several bakeries had resumed bread production after receiving “limited supplies” the previous night. However, the WFP stressed, “Bread alone is not sufficient for survival.” “This is a crucial initial step, but we must expand assistance,” stated Vladmir Jovcev, WFP Deputy Country Director. “An increase in essential food supplies is vital to mitigate the risk of famine.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has called for significantly more aid, stating that the current amount permitted to enter Gaza is “far from adequate” for the needs of its 2.1 million residents. OCHA highlighted that basic supplies, including fresh food, hygiene products, water purification materials, and fuel for hospitals, have not been allowed into Gaza for over 80 days. On Thursday, OCHA reported that more than 500 pallets of nutritional supplies—equivalent to nearly 20 truckloads—arrived at UNICEF’s warehouse in Deir al Balah. These supplies consisted of ready-to-use therapeutic food and lipid-based nutritional supplements, which were then repackaged for distribution at numerous points. Additionally, humanitarian teams transported another 100 truckloads of aid to the Kerem Shalom border crossing while collecting about 35 truckloads from within Gaza on Thursday. This latest delivery included flour, nutrition items, and medical supplies. OCHA noted that supplies typically reach Kerem Shalom a day or two in advance due to lengthy crossing procedures. Since truckload sizes do not always align, teams in Gaza often stack extra pallets on each truck to optimize space.
OCHA also provided an update on the situation in the West Bank, where ongoing high levels of settler violence are significantly affecting the Palestinian population. On Thursday, an entire Bedouin community in Maghayer ad Deir, near Ramallah, began dismantling their homes to relocate to a safer area after Israeli settlers established an outpost less than 50 meters away on Sunday. In total, over 20 households, comprising approximately 60 adults and as many children, are impacted. OCHA reported that assaults have intensified, with settlers invading the community, threatening residents, breaking into animal shelters, and setting fires. On the same day, nearly 150 masked settlers set fire to Palestinian vehicles in the town of Brugin, located in the Salfit area. Eight individuals sustained injuries, mostly burns, while attempting to extinguish the flames. This incident followed the killing of a pregnant Israeli woman nearby last week, which triggered a week-long Israeli operation that resulted in the lockdown of about 11,000 Palestinians. The frequency of settler attacks has also escalated during this period.
