• Gaza-bound aid shipments turned back by Israel are languishing near the Egypt border.
• Obstacles include bureaucratic hurdles, minor packing issues, and suspicion of dual military use.
• UN officials report ongoing humanitarian crises as thousands of aid trucks fail to enter Gaza.
• Israeli officials claim no limit on aid shipments, yet the flow remains critically low.
• Former world leaders express shock over the conditions faced by those seeking to deliver aid.

Boxes of Gaza-bound aid turned back by Israel have been left on trucks and trailers parked just meters from the border with Egypt, as frustrated drivers and U.N. officials voice criticisms about delays in delivering essential supplies of food and medicine to the enclave. Various obstacles have been cited by seven aid officials and three truckers, including minor issues with packaging and paperwork, heavy scrutiny regarding any potential military use of supplies, and restricted working hours at the Israeli border crossing, according to Reuters, Channel News Asia, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.

The supplies observed at the Rafah border crossing were marked with blue logos from the World Health Organization, indicating their humanitarian purpose. However, a WHO employee reported that the shipment was denied entry for carrying "illegal medicines," a claim that remains unverified as the Israeli military authority failed to respond to inquiries regarding the rejections. Prominent members of the Elders, a group of former world leaders, were present at the border, where they expressed their dismay at the situation. Former Irish President Mary Robinson and ex-New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark criticized Israel's actions in Gaza, according to Reuters, Channel News Asia, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.

In response to international outrage from images depicting starving residents in Gaza, Israel announced measures on July 27 to allow more aid to flow into the area. However, agencies report that the amount of aid actually reaching Gaza is only a small fraction of the needs. Despite Israeli claims that the flow of humanitarian assistance is uncontrolled, aid agencies assert their shipments are frequently halted, leaving numerous trucks unprocessed at the border, as noted by Reuters, Channel News Asia, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.

Clark expressed her astonishment: "To see this crossing, which should be a place where people interact with each other, where people can come and go, out of blockade, is absolutely shocking for us.” The Hamas-run Gaza government media office claims that since the changes came into effect, only 1,334 trucks have managed to enter Gaza, significantly below the 9,000 trucks needed, according to them. The U.S. has specified that at least 600 trucks daily are essential to feed Gaza's population, as reported by Reuters, Channel News Asia, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.

Faced with heightened bureaucratic barriers, the time taken for shipments to be approved has increased exponentially; clearances which previously took a few days are now taking at least a month. The Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) agency claims it has facilitated about 300 trucks daily for food supplies in recent weeks, contradicting assertions of an aid blockade, as mentioned by Reuters, Channel News Asia, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.

Many drivers from Egypt cannot directly reach the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, leading them to reroute via the Israeli crossing of Kerem Shalom where stricter checks are conducted. Egyptian truck driver Kamel Atteiya Mohamed reported that among 200 to 300 trucks attempting this passage daily, only about 30 to 50 succeed. He lamented common rejections for trivial issues such as pallets missing stickers or being deemed unfit for passage, voicing frustration, “Every day it's like this, honestly, we're fed up.” These claims underscore the operational challenges at the border facilities, referring to the obstructions experienced while attempting to deliver vital supplies, according to Reuters, Channel News Asia, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.