Jerusalem, Israel, August 30, 2025
Israel has announced it will soon halt or slow the delivery of humanitarian aid to northern Gaza as it expands its military offensive against Hamas, a decision that is expected to further deepen the humanitarian crisis and draw international condemnation. The move comes a day after the Israeli military declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” and suspended the daily “tactical pauses” that had allowed for the distribution of aid.
Key Headlines
* Aid Delivery to Cease: Israel will reportedly stop airdrops over Gaza City in the coming days and reduce the number of aid trucks entering the north.
* Intensified Military Operations: The decision coincides with a planned major military offensive on Gaza City, which the Israeli government claims is the last major stronghold of Hamas.
* Humanitarian Catastrophe Warning: Aid organizations and the United Nations have warned that this move will push the already famine-stricken region to the brink of collapse.
* Forced Displacement: The halt in aid delivery is directly linked to Israel’s preparations to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people from Gaza City to the south.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the military would soon end its aid airdrops and reduce the number of trucks traveling to the north. The official explained that the decision is a direct consequence of the escalating military operations in Gaza City, which are aimed at dismantling Hamas’s remaining command and control centers, including a vast network of tunnels.
The announcement has sent shockwaves through the humanitarian community. Aid organizations have long warned that the level of aid entering Gaza is insufficient to meet the needs of the population, which is facing a man-made famine. The UN has repeatedly stated that at least 600 trucks of aid are needed daily, a number that has never been met. The new restrictions are expected to make an already dire situation even worse. The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that a mass evacuation of Gaza City, which Israel is preparing for, would be “impossible to conduct safely or with dignity” given the widespread destruction of infrastructure and the extreme shortages of food, water, and shelter.
The decision has been met with growing frustration both internationally and within Israel. A number of countries and international bodies have condemned the move, arguing that it is a violation of international law. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, for example, previously stated that the “confirmation of famine in Gaza City… is a moral outrage.” The Israeli government, however, maintains that its military operations are necessary to achieve its war aims and secure the release of the remaining hostages.
