Amman, Jordan, May 20, 2025 — The Israeli Security Cabinet has committed to allowing a limited amount of essential supplies to enter Gaza, after more than ten weeks of total blockade on all goods. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) stresses that this is just a drop in the ocean, when Gaza’s population is on the brink of famine and the health system is collapsing. With two million Palestinians in need of humanitarian assistance to survive, we call for the urgent scaling-up of aid that is commensurate to needs, unfettered humanitarian access across the entirety of Gaza, and the immediate reinstatement of the ceasefire.
Recent IRC assessments reveal a collapse in access to basic goods: nearly three in five families are unable to find bread or fresh food, over 60% struggle to access clean water and canned food is vanishing from shelves. Meanwhile, IRC health teams are witnessing a sharp rise in child malnutrition, with rates doubling in just one month. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) update shows that the entire population of Gaza is facing crisis-level or worse food insecurity, with 470,000 people now at risk of famine or death due to starvation — nearly double the number from the previous analysis.
According to reports, the limited aid permitted entry into Gaza will focus primarily on food and malnutrition treatment. While this is urgently needed, it is not enough. Israel must also lift restrictions on medical supplies, water treatment materials, fuel, and other critical items essential to sustaining life and enabling a meaningful humanitarian response.
Zoe Daniels, the IRC’s Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory, says,
“The decision to allow limited food aid to enter Gaza barely scratches the surface of what is needed. We are encouraged to see nine trucks with nutrition supplies entering yesterday – the first aid to enter Gaza in over ten weeks. But what people in Gaza need is consistent, sustained access to all essential supplies — not just food and medicine, but also water, fuel, and hygiene items. Without this, humanitarian operations cannot function. Increased displacement orders are further complicating our ability to move staff and goods safely, limiting our reach while needs continue to grow. We urgently need unfettered, safe, and sustained humanitarian access at the scale and speed this crisis demands.”
The IRC continues to call for an immediate ceasefire, the unimpeded entry of aid, the release of all hostages, and protection for civilians and humanitarian staff.