UN Cleared to Send 100 Aid Trucks Into Gaza Amid Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

The United Nations announced on Tuesday that it has received approval to send approximately 100 trucks of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, marking a significant step in addressing the dire humanitarian situation in the besieged territory.

“We have requested and received approval for more trucks to enter today—many more than were approved yesterday,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), speaking to reporters in Geneva. “The number is around 100.”

Laerke expressed hope that most, if not all, of the approved trucks would successfully cross into Gaza and reach points where the aid could be distributed to those in need.

The development follows Monday’s limited breakthrough, when aid entered Gaza for the first time in over two months. Only nine trucks were authorized then—a figure UN officials described as “a drop in the ocean” compared to the scale of humanitarian needs.

So far, five of those trucks have crossed through the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the UN has received clearance to retrieve them for further distribution.

“We do have the clearance today to pick them up and to collect other trucks that may follow through the Kerem Shalom crossing,” Laerke noted.

The long-awaited resumption of aid deliveries comes amid international outcry over Israel’s total blockade of Gaza, which has led to severe shortages of food, medicine, and other essentials. Israel has ramped up its military campaign in the enclave, stating its objective is to dismantle Hamas.

As humanitarian groups warn of a looming catastrophe, the UN hopes that Tuesday’s larger convoy will mark the beginning of sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza’s most vulnerable communities.