UN claims Gaza aid delivery has seen major progress

Aid has been a central subject of the current Gaza ceasefire agreement, as food insecurity has reached unprecedented levels in the Palestinian territory. The UN claimed that major progress has been made on the delivery of aid to Gaza, according to the New York Times on October 13th.

The entry of life-saving supplies and humanitarian aid was heavily curtailed by Israel throughout the Gaza conflict but far more intensely since March 2025. However, the peace talks held in Egypt to discuss the 20-point plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump has reportedly provided provisions for humanitarian efforts to resume for the enclave.

In a statement, the UN announced that Israel has approved the delivery of aid, shelter, medicine, water, and other supplies. The United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that medical and emergency supplies were being delivered to Palestinians in need.

The (OCHA) added that with the help of their partners, “hundreds of thousands of hot meals and bread bundles” were distributed in multiple parts of Gaza.

This marks a complete shift in Israel’s policies regarding the entry of aid into the Palestinian enclave. Previously, aid groups had accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of imposing unjustifiable rules on the type of supplies that could enter Gaza.

Israel’s policies have reportedly plunged several parts of Gaza into famine, but Israel has denied this. The Israeli government has claimed that sufficient aid had entered the Palestinian territory, but that it was stolen by Hamas.

Top U.N. humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, revealed that nearly everyone in the Palestinian enclave needs some form of food aid, including 500,000 Gazans who require treatment to tackle the famine’s impact.

Plans from the United Nations intend to send hundreds of trucks into Gaza each day to deliver food, boost efforts to construct shelter, build several healthcare hubs and dispatch emergency medical teams in all parts of the territory. Fletcher also said that “they will also help repair basic municipal services like clean water, a functioning sewage system and garbage pickups”.

Arab states have endorsed Trump’s ceasefire deal as the only durable solution to put an end to the conflict in the Palestinian territory. Western countries have also recognised a Palestinian state in a bid to pave the way for a two-state solution.

However, despite the current ceasefire agreement, it seems as though Israel is continuing  its efforts to undermine Palestinians’ right to self-determination, as the government unveiled the planned expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Israel’s far-right have also expressed their dissent towards the ceasefire deal, advocated to continue the war in Gaza and have even threatened to dismantle the government.

The New York Times, Maghrebi.org