Israeli strikes on Gaza continue as food supply dwindles amid blockade

Over the last 24 hours, hospitals in the Gaza Strip have received the bodies of 51 Palestinians who were killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes, according to statements made by healthcare authorities in the region on Sunday.

Recently, several assaults have been directed at shelters and areas previously marked as humanitarian zones, housing thousands of displaced individuals living in tents.

Starting from March 18th, after Israel terminated a two-month truce with Hamas, the Israeli army has conducted continuous airstrikes each day. Additionally, their ground troops have seized further areas to widen a safety perimeter, now overseeing approximately half of the region’s total area.

For almost two months now, Israel has been preventing all food, fuel, medication, and other supplies from entering Gaza.

Food supplies are dwindling

On Friday, the World Food Programme reported that it had distributed its final food supplies to the 47 kitchens they support. They warned that these facilities might exhaust their meal provisions for Palestinian families within the coming days.

Palestinians in Gaza are striving to provide for their loved ones A serving of rice along with canned veggies frequently constitutes the sole meal for whole families daily. Foods like meat, milk, cheese, and fruits are nowhere to be found. Bread and eggs are also hard to come by. Even though a limited number of vegetables or other goods may still appear at markets, their prices have surged so high they remain out of reach for most people.

On Friday, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that it had distributed its final stock of food to the 47 kitchens it assists. The organization also warned that these facilities might exhaust their supply of meals within days.

Human rights organizations refer to the blockade as a "strategy aimed at starvation" that threatens the whole populace and could constitute a possible war crime.

The WFP stated that over 116,000 metric tons of food aid—which could sustain one million individuals for as long as four months—is prepared and awaiting delivery into Gaza.

Israelis protest calling for a truce and a hostage agreement

On Saturday, thousands of Israeli demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv calling for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to secure the release of all remaining hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. This protest was part of the regular series of organized demonstrations against the government.

Israeli authorities say the renewed offensive and tightened blockade are aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages abducted in its 7 October 2023 attack that triggered the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and all the hostages are returned.

Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 59 hostages — 24 of whom are believed to be alive — in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as called for in the now-defunct ceasefire reached in January.

The militant group announced Saturday that it had sent a high-level delegation to Cairo to try and get a ceasefire, shattered last month by Israeli bombardment, back on track. It added that its delegation will discuss with Egyptian officials the group's vision to end the war, which also includes reconstruction.