Palestinian group Hamas says Israel enforces measures to block aid to Gaza

Hamas on Friday condemned Israel for implementing a series of measures aimed at obstructing humanitarian aid from reaching Palestinians in Gaza.

Khalil Al-Hayya, the acting head of Hamas in Gaza, said in a press release: "Israel is imposing measures to obstruct aid to the Palestinian people."

"Israel allows only a meager number of trucks -- fewer than 40 in the north and 60 in the south -- and sometimes none at all," he said.

Before the war in October 2023, over 600 trucks of goods and food entered Gaza daily, according to Palestinian officials.

He further condemned the closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, noting that hundreds of aid trucks were left stranded for months, leading to the spoilage of their contents.

The official also denounced Israel's restrictions on the operations of international relief organizations.

"Even UNRWA, the only entity capable of delivering aid to two-thirds of the Palestinian population, faces systematic restrictions," he said.

"This situation demands immediate and decisive action from the international community," Hayya urged.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deepened, with reports of severe food shortages exacerbated by Israeli restrictions.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in October last year, killing more than 44,000 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,000.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

The ICC announced in a landmark move Thursday that it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.