GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), In the context of ongoing restrictions on the flow of aid into the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation authorities escalated their measures by suspending vital humanitarian shipments, which threatens to deepen the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
The occupation authorities announced the suspension of the entry of aid transported by the United Nations Children’s Fund “UNICEF” from Egypt to the Gaza Strip, under the pretext of thwarting an “attempt to smuggle” tobacco and materials containing nicotine within the shipments.
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said, in a statement, that it informed the Director of “UNICEF” of the suspension decision, after discovering materials it described as “prohibited” during the inspection of aid shipments at the Kerem Abu Salem crossing.
COGAT added that the suspension of the entry of aid will continue until a comprehensive investigation by UNICEF is completed, and an official response regarding the incident is provided.
It claimed that bottles containing nicotine substances were found hidden inside cardboard boxes designated for personal hygiene kits, noting that those materials were confiscated, and it published an image it said documents what was seized.
For its part, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced that the Kerem Abu Salem crossing is currently the only entry point for humanitarian aid and commercial goods into the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing restrictions imposed.
The office clarified, in a statement, that the United Nations and its partners managed, on Monday, to bring in food supplies, hygiene items, medicines, and early childhood development supplies, in addition to animal feed, through the crossing, but stressed the need to open more crossings to expand the humanitarian response.
These developments come at a time when Israel continues its control over approximately half of the area of the Gaza Strip, including border areas, since the fragile ceasefire agreement came into effect on 10 October 2025.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the Palestinian NGO Network in the Gaza Strip, Amjad al-Shawa, warned of the worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave with the sharp decline in the quantities of aid entering it in the recent period, confirming that the continuation of restrictions on the entry of basic supplies could lead to the return of famine.
According to al-Shawa, what is currently entering the enclave does not exceed one third of the quantity agreed upon within the humanitarian protocol associated with the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on 10 October 2025, which stipulates the entry of approximately 600 trucks daily.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Committee, supported by the United Nations, had announced famine in Gaza City located in the northern part of the enclave, in August 2025, warning of the possibility of its expansion to other cities in the central part of the enclave as well.
In December of the same year, the committee reported the end of the famine after the improvement in the access of humanitarian as well as commercial food supplies, following the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement. However, it indicated at the time that the situation remains critical, especially as the vast majority of the population of the enclave still faces high levels of food insecurity amid catastrophic conditions, as a result of the recent Israeli war.
Since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression on Gaza in October 2023, Israel has tightened its siege on the enclave, prompting United Nations agencies and international humanitarian organizations to repeatedly call for allowing the entry of more aid trucks, amid the deterioration of living and humanitarian conditions.
