• 15 World Food Programme aid trucks were looted in Gaza, exacerbating the region's humanitarian crisis.
• About 2 million people in Gaza face extreme hunger and potential famine without significant aid.
• Israeli strikes have resulted in over 60 deaths in one day, worsening the situation for civilians.
• Despite opening aid routes, only a fraction of necessary supplies is reaching the Palestinian population.
• The new aid distribution plan has drawn criticism from established humanitarian organizations.

Fifteen aid trucks belonging to the World Food Programme (WFP) were reported looted in southern Gaza on Thursday, as the region grapples with an escalating humanitarian crisis characterized by extreme hunger and the looming threat of famine; approximately 2 million people are at risk, according to the WFP. "Hunger, desperation, and anxiety over whether more food aid is coming, is contributing to rising insecurity," said a WFP statement emphasizing the urgent need for more efficient distribution routes, particularly after the end of an Israeli blockade that took effect earlier this week, which had severely limited aid access, according to SCMP and ABC News.

Aid efforts have recently resumed following an Israeli government decision to allow more humanitarian trucks into Gaza, with reports indicating that 198 trucks passed through the Kerem Shalom crossing in just three days. Despite the easing of restrictions, critics are concerned that the current levels of aid are insufficient to address the urgent needs of the population. “Hundreds of trucks would be needed each day, and we are currently far from meeting that requirement,” said Martin Frick, the head of the WFP Global Office for Germany, highlighting the disparity between supply and demand, according to India Times.

Compounding the crisis, Israeli airstrikes claimed the lives of at least 60 individuals across Gaza on Friday, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. These strikes are part of a larger military offensive initiated in response to attacks by Hamas earlier in the conflict. Israel's ongoing campaign has drawn widespread international condemnation and calls for increased humanitarian aid access, as only a fraction of the approximately 600 trucks necessary to meet basic needs has been allowed through, according to SCMP and ABC News.

The looting of aid trucks highlights severe logistical issues hampering humanitarian efforts, with the WFP stressing the urgent need for safe transportation and distribution channels. Without immediate action, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has indicated that a significant portion of Gaza's population is at imminent risk of famine, further complicating the task of humanitarian organizations striving to deliver assistance amid deteriorating security conditions. According to UN officials, "around 500 trucks are needed daily" to meet the basic needs of the population, illustrating that current assistance levels remain woefully inadequate, according to India Times.