Israel fails to improve humanitarian access in Gaza, new report finds
As aid reaches Gaza amid a ceasefire, humanitarian agencies are calling for urgent accountability to ensure that Israeli impunity does not continue to devastate Palestinians.
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Hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians began returning to northern Gaza under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel. / Photo: AP
A year has passed since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued provisional measures ordering Israel to ensure the protection of Palestinian rights in Gaza and prevent acts of genocide.
Despite this legally binding directive, Israel has not taken meaningful steps to address Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis over the past year up to the ceasefire agreement. Instead, conditions deteriorated, a new survey of 35 humanitarian organisations operating in Gaza has found.
Conducted by several major NGOs – including Oxfam, Islamic Relief, Doctors of the World and ActionAid – the survey spotlights systematic restrictions and denials of aid, essential supplies, and services, both into and within Gaza, since the ICJ’s January 26, 2024 ruling.
With a pause in hostilities allowing aid to flow, the agencies have called for accountability to prevent neglect and impunity from recurring.
“Now that aid is getting into Gaza, the next weeks will be critical but challenging, given the level of destruction Israel has rained down upon Gaza and its near-total decimation of the humanitarian infrastructure and operational capacity,” Dr Jean-Francois Corty, president of the Doctors of the World, said.
The Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on January 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 47,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 111,400 since October 7, 2023.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians began returning to northern Gaza under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel.
In the survey conducted pre-pause in hostilities, from January 2 to 14, 2025, international and national aid organisations shared their experiences delivering humanitarian aid and services in Gaza from the date of the ICJ orders of 26 January 2024 to 9 January 2025.
Key findings:
- 89 percent of respondents reported that Israeli actions regarding aid provision had worsened since the ICJ ruling.
- 93 percent said humanitarian conditions for Palestinians receiving aid had deteriorated.
- 100 percent of agencies importing humanitarian supplies into Gaza stated that Israel’s procedures were either ineffective, deliberately obstructive, or insufficient to meet urgent needs.
- 95 percent of aid agencies delivering supplies within Gaza faced regular delays, with some experiencing hold-ups of more than two months.
- Essential items such as personal protective equipment (PPE), winterisation supplies, mobile kitchens, hygiene kits, food, and educational materials were denied entry under Israel’s “dual-use” policy, which claims these items could be repurposed for military use.
“As the survey shows, Israel completely failed to improve humanitarian conditions, in disregard of international law, while systematically preventing life-saving aid from getting in,” Oxfam’s policy lead Bushra Khalidi said.
“It is vital to assess past failures, even amid a ceasefire. Without accountability and a commitment to protecting humanitarian operations, we risk repeating the same cycles of impunity and neglect, leaving millions without hope of a better future,” Khalidi added.
The survey also showed the severe challenges aid workers in Gaza have endured, as Israel has systematically targeted essential services, humanitarian infrastructure, and personnel.
Attacks on humanitarian workers:
- 94 percent of aid workers surveyed had been displaced at least once, many multiple times.
- 72 percent of aid agencies reported their premises were damaged in Israeli air or ground attacks since the ICJ ruling, with several NGO-run medical centres and at least seven offices in Gaza City destroyed.
- 93 percent of organisations had to relocate their operations at least once due to Israeli military offensives and forced displacement orders, with many facing repeated relocations.
The report also criticises third-party states for failing to meet their obligations to prevent atrocity crimes, including genocide.
Some states continue to supply weapons and political support to Israel while refraining from condemning its violations or taking meaningful steps to halt them.
Humanitarian groups called for sustained, unrestricted access to aid and urgent international intervention to address Israel’s ongoing breaches of international law.
“It is essential that humanitarian access is not only immediate but sustained and unimpeded. The rights of Palestinians in Gaza must be protected from acts of genocide, and Israel must be held to account for its continued violations of international law,” says Riham Jafari, Communication and advocacy coordinator at ActionAid, occupied Palestinian territories.
“Without meaningful accountability, the suffering will only deepen, and the path to justice and peace will remain blocked,” he added.