Gazans still waiting for aid as pressure mounts on Israel, Pope Leo appeals for humanitarian aid in Gaza

No humanitarian aid has reached Gaza residents despite Israel’s claim that it lifted an 11-week blockade, a U.N. official reported on Wednesday as blockade pushes the Palestinian enclave to the brink of famine.

According to the Israeli military, five aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday and 93 more on Tuesday. However, none of the supplies have reached vital services like soup kitchens, bakeries, markets, or hospitals, according to aid workers and local bakers awaiting flour deliveries.

"None of this aid — which is a very limited number of trucks — has reached the population in Gaza," said Antoine Renard, the World Food Programme’s country director. He said the aid trucks appeared to be held up at Kerem Shalom, a major logistics crossing at Gaza’s southeastern edge.

Despite international pressure, the blockade has left Gazans in worsening conditions. “There is no flour, no food, no water,” said 67-year-old Sabah Warsh Agha, sheltering in a tent camp in Gaza City. “The pump we used for water has stopped working. There’s no diesel or gas.”

Abdel-Nasser Al-Ajramy, who heads Gaza’s bakery owners’ association, said at least 25 bakeries promised WFP-delivered flour have received nothing. “People are starving,” he said.

Mahmoud al-Haw, waiting for food in a crowded queue, described the desperation: “I’ve been here since eight in the morning, trying to get one plate for six people. It’s barely enough for one.”

Israel imposed the blockade in March, citing concerns that Hamas was diverting aid — an allegation the group denies. A U.S.-supported system involving private contractors is expected to take over aid distribution soon.

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday appealed for Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, calling the situation in the Palestinian enclave "yet more worrying and saddening".

 

"I renew my fervent appeal to allow for the entry of fair humanitarian help and to bring to an end the hostilities, the devastating price of which is paid by children, the elderly and the sick," the new pope said during his first weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.

 

The appeal came at the end of the pope's audience, when he added a few words to his prepared text. The pope, who U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday had expressed interest in hosting Russia-Ukraine peace talks, did not mention that conflict.

 

In his first Sunday message on May 11, the new pope called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for the release of all Israeli hostages held by militant group Hamas.

 

Meanwhile, airstrikes and shelling resumed across Gaza. Palestinian health authorities said at least 34 people were killed on Wednesday. The Israeli military reported hitting 115 targets, including rocket sites, tunnels, and other infrastructure.

The renewed military campaign, which resumed in March after a two-month ceasefire, has sparked growing condemnation from countries traditionally cautious in criticizing Israel. The U.S., Israel’s key ally, has shown signs of impatience with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The U.K. has suspended free trade talks with Israel, and the EU is reviewing its political and economic agreements with the country. Britain, France, and Canada have warned of potential “concrete actions” if the offensive continues.

'Pariah State' Warnings from Within

Domestically, left-wing opposition leader Yair Golan sparked outrage from government supporters by warning Israel risked becoming a “pariah state.” “A sane country doesn’t kill babies as a hobby,” said Golan, a former Israeli military deputy commander and current party leader with limited political power. His remarks echoed similar criticism from former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a BBC interview.

Netanyahu dismissed both men’s comments. “It’s shocking,” he said in a video statement. “While IDF soldiers are fighting Hamas, they’re helping spread false propaganda against Israel.”

Public opinion, however, appears to favor a ceasefire that would return the remaining 58 hostages held in Gaza. A recent Hebrew University poll showed 70% of Israelis support such a deal.

Still, Netanyahu’s right-wing cabinet includes hardliners who insist the war must continue until Hamas is disarmed and “final victory” is achieved — even calling for the total expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.

On the Israeli side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, a small group of protesters tried to block aid trucks, arguing that no supplies should be sent while hostages remain in Gaza.

Netanyahu, under pressure from sagging approval ratings, a corruption trial he denies, and an arrest warrant request from the International Criminal Court, has aligned with his cabinet’s hardline stance.

Israel’s assault on Gaza followed the Hamas-led October 7 attack, which killed around 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 people taken hostage. Since then, more than 53,600 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health authorities, and aid groups report widespread malnutrition amid the destruction of the territory.