April 16, 2025 — Gaza Strip — Israel announced on Wednesday that it will continue blocking humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip, where ongoing military operations have turned the Palestinian enclave into what a medical charity has described as a “mass grave.”
The offensive resumed on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. However, Israel has not allowed humanitarian aid into Gaza since March 2, deepening the already dire humanitarian crisis. At least 11 people were reportedly killed in air and ground attacks on Wednesday alone.
“No Aid In,” Says Israel
Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, reiterated the government’s stance:
“Israel’s policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza. Blocking this aid is one of the main pressure levers preventing Hamas from using it as a tool with the population,” he stated.
He emphasized that there are no plans or preparations underway to allow humanitarian supplies into the enclave of 2.4 million people.
Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, maintain that military pressure remains the primary strategy to secure the release of the remaining 58 hostages held by Hamas.
“Hamas will continue to suffer blow after blow,” Netanyahu said during a visit to northern Gaza. “We insist on the release of our hostages and on achieving all our war objectives.”
Palestinian and International Reactions
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, based in Ramallah, condemned Netanyahu’s visit to Gaza as a “provocative intrusion” and accused Israel of attempting to prolong “genocide and forced displacement.”
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) painted a grim picture of the situation, describing Gaza as a mass grave for both Palestinians and aid workers.
“The humanitarian response is severely struggling under the weight of insecurity and critical supply shortages,” said MSF’s Amande Bazerolle.
The United Nations also raised alarm over the deepening crisis.
“The humanitarian situation is now likely the worst it has been in the 18 months since the outbreak of hostilities,” said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), noting that no aid has entered Gaza in over six weeks.
Legal and International Pressure
On April 28, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will begin hearings regarding Israel’s humanitarian obligations toward Palestinians. The UN General Assembly has asked the court to issue an advisory opinion on whether Israel is complying with its duty to ensure the delivery of essential aid.
Although ICJ rulings are binding, the court has no mechanism to enforce compliance — but the legal process increases international diplomatic pressure.
Casualties Mount
In a pre-dawn airstrike on Wednesday, 11 people — including women and children — were killed in Gaza City, according to the local civil defense agency. Gaza’s health ministry, operated by Hamas, reported that the recent escalation has led to at least 1,652 deaths since March 18.
Since the outbreak of war following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, over 51,025 people — mostly civilians — have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities. The initial Hamas attack resulted in 1,218 deaths in Israel, the majority civilians, according to official Israeli data.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military confirmed the killing of a Hezbollah militant in southern Lebanon, despite an ongoing ceasefire between the two sides.
