The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has once again taken center stage on the world’s diplomatic stage, as new data and a chorus of international condemnation converge to paint a grim picture of suffering, blame, and political deadlock. In the past week, eight European nations issued a forceful joint statement denouncing Israel’s latest plans to tighten its grip on Gaza City, warning that the move would only deepen the already dire humanitarian emergency and threaten the lives of remaining hostages.
According to Tempo.co, the foreign ministers of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain declared, “We strongly condemn the recent announcement by the Government of Israel of the intensification of the occupation and the military offensive, including in Gaza city.” The statement, released on August 10, 2025, underscored fears that the Israeli Cabinet’s approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s occupation plan would lead to massive casualties and the forced displacement of nearly a million Palestinians. The ministers added, “We firmly reject any demographic or territorial changes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” calling Israel’s actions a “serious violation of international law and humanitarian principles.”
But the diplomatic outrage doesn’t stop there. The European Union, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, and leaders from several EU countries—including European Council President Antonio Costa, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the French government—have all echoed calls for Israel to reconsider. UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay, cited by China Daily, described Israel’s decision as “a dangerous escalation” that could “further endanger more lives, including of the remaining hostages.”
Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, warned via social media that Israel’s actions could “damage the EU’s relationship with Israel,” urging a reversal of the decision. Costa highlighted that “the takeover of Gaza, expansion of settlements in the West Bank, extensive damage in Gaza, aid blockade, and widespread hunger violate international law and humanitarian values.” France, for its part, issued a strong condemnation of any full military occupation or forced displacement, arguing that such actions would “violate international law, trigger political deadlock, and threaten regional stability without enhancing Israel’s security.”
Other European nations also weighed in. Lithuania stressed the need for coordinated EU efforts as the situation in Gaza deteriorates, while Sweden insisted that “any attempt to annex Gaza violates international law.” Austria voiced concerns for hostages and civilians, Portugal called for a postponement of the plan and emergency aid, and Slovenia demanded a permanent ceasefire. Germany, meanwhile, took concrete action by halting military equipment exports that could be used in Gaza, and Italy sent 100 tons of humanitarian aid to Jordan for airdrop into Gaza.
Amidst this diplomatic storm, new data published by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has cast a harsh spotlight on the logistics of humanitarian aid in Gaza. As Fox News Digital reported, approximately 87% of aid trucks entering Gaza since May 19, 2025—1,753 out of 2,013—were looted before reaching their intended destinations. On May 31 alone, a record 90 trucks carrying about 1,695 tons of aid were looted. The theft, according to UNOPS, was carried out both “peacefully by hungry people or forcefully by armed actors.”
The reasons for this rampant looting are complex and controversial. Farhan Aziz Haq, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, explained, “People facing hunger have resorted to offloading supplies directly from our convoys. We understand the frustration, but let’s be clear: this isn’t our system. It’s what happens when aid is squeezed through too few routes after months of deprivation.” Haq stressed that “only a steady, reliable flow of aid and commercial supplies can restore people’s belief that aid will arrive and allow for safe, orderly distributions.”
Yet, the finger-pointing doesn’t end with Israel. Critics argue that international organizations and Hamas bear responsibility for the chaos as well. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and Gaza-born American, told Fox News Digital, “Nobody is able to have nuance in this conflict or hold multiple truths… NGOs and U.N. officials, the pro-Palestine people, activists and advocates, parrot the same talking points that there’s no aid theft and that everything is Israel’s fault.” He pointed to a “chain of thievery and extreme price hikes perpetrated by civilians and merchants” that has compounded the misery, while also criticizing Israeli ministers for making statements about cutting off aid to force Gazans out—remarks that have only inflamed tensions.
The role of Hamas in the aid crisis has been hotly debated. While some media outlets have downplayed or dismissed reports of Hamas stealing and reselling aid, Israeli officials and freed hostages have described seeing U.N.-branded products stockpiled in Hamas tunnels. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, stated, “Hamas is not the most reliable source in the world,” and accused international media of failing to “take the nature of Hamas seriously.” According to Michael, “Hamas wants there to be many casualties among Palestinian civilians, because it serves their interests.”
Against this backdrop, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—a U.S. and Israel-backed aid distribution mechanism launched in May 2025—has stepped into the fray. GHF claims to have delivered nearly 105 million meals to Gazans since its inception, a figure intended to counter accusations that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote on X, “Went into Gaza today & observed humanitarian food program by U.S. launched GHF. Hamas hates GHF b/c it gets food to ppl w/o it being looted by Hamas. Over 100 MILLION meals served in 2 months.”
However, the GHF itself has not escaped scrutiny. Daily reports of civilian deaths at or near aid distribution points and chaotic scenes of people fighting over food have led to criticism of the new aid system. The GHF has fired back, claiming that Hamas, the U.N., and other agencies “are just hoping the initiative fails so they can control all aid operations in Gaza.”
David Makovsky, director of the Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, attempted to strike a balanced note: “There is a whole debate about GHF, which will not be settled today. Yet, in a humanitarian emergency crisis, feeding people should take absolute top priority and I think it is incumbent for the U.N. and GHF to work together to feed people. I hope that by bringing in lots of food into Gaza you can help innocent suffering people and also dramatically bring down black market rates exploited by Hamas which they use to control their people.”
As the international community grapples with how best to address Gaza’s suffering, one thing is clear: the crisis is not the result of a single actor or a simple failure. The tangled web of occupation, blockade, internal theft, and political posturing has left ordinary Gazans caught in the crossfire—and with no easy answers in sight.
