UN Agency Closes Its Remaining Gaza Bakeries Amid Israel's Ongoing Aid Blockade | rssama.com

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The U.N. nutrient agency is closing each of its bakeries in nan Gaza Strip, officials said Tuesday, arsenic nutrient supplies dwindle aft Israel sealed nan territory disconnected from each imports astir a period ago.

Israel, which tightened its blockade and later resumed its offensive successful bid to unit Hamas into accepting changes to their ceasefire agreement, said that capable nutrient entered Gaza during nan six-week truce to prolong nan territory’s astir 2 cardinal Palestinians.

Markets mostly emptied weeks ago, and U.N. agencies opportunity nan supplies they built up during nan truce are moving out. Gaza is heavy reliant connected world aid, because nan warfare has destroyed almost each of its nutrient accumulation capability.

Mohammed al-Kurd, a begetter of 12, said that his children spell to furniture without dinner.

“We show them to beryllium diligent and that we will bring flour successful nan morning,” he said. “We dishonesty to them and to ourselves.”

A Palestinian boy carrying an quiet flour sack walks past a shuttered World Food Program bakery successful Gaza City that ran retired of supplies, connected April 1, 2025. The UN agency announced it will adjacent nan remainder of its bakers successful nan territory arsenic nutrient continues to dwindle arsenic a consequence of Israel's continued assistance blockade.

Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images

A World Food Program memo circulated to assistance groups connected Monday said that it could nary longer run its remaining bakeries, which nutrient nan pita breadstuff connected which galore rely. The U.N. agency said that it was prioritizing its remaining stocks to supply emergency nutrient assistance and grow basking repast distribution. WFP spokespeople didn’t instantly respond to requests for comment.

Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for nan U.N. Office for nan Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that nan WFP was closing its remaining 19 bakeries aft shuttering six others past month. She said that hundreds of thousands of group relied connected them.

The Israeli subject assemblage successful complaint of Palestinian affairs, known arsenic COGAT, said that much than 25,000 trucks entered Gaza during nan ceasefire, carrying astir 450,000 tons of aid. It said that magnitude represented astir a 3rd of what has entered during nan full war.

“There is capable nutrient for a agelong play of time, if Hamas lets nan civilians person it,” it said.

U.N. agencies and assistance groups opportunity that they struggled to bring successful and administer aid earlier nan ceasefire took clasp successful January. Their estimates for really overmuch assistance really reached group successful Gaza were consistently little than COGAT’s, which were based connected really overmuch entered done separator crossings.

A Palestinian woman cries retired arsenic she and others desperately effort to person nutrient astatine an assistance distribution halfway successful bluish Gaza's Beit Lahiya, connected March 16, 2025.

Abdel Kareem Hana via Associated Press

The warfare began erstwhile Hamas-led militants attacked confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, sidesplitting astir 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Hamas is still holding 59 captives — 24 of whom are believed to beryllium live — aft astir of nan remainder were released successful ceasefire agreements aliases different deals.

Israel’s violative has killed much than 50,000 Palestinians, including hundreds killed successful strikes since nan ceasefire ended, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t opportunity whether those killed successful nan warfare are civilians aliases combatants. Israel says it has killed astir 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Israel sealed disconnected Gaza from each assistance astatine nan commencement of nan war, but later relented nether unit from Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which took in installments for helping to agent nan ceasefire, has expressed full support for Israel’s actions, including its determination to extremity nan truce.

Israel has demanded that Hamas merchandise respective hostages earlier commencing talks connected ending nan war, negotiations that were expected to person begun successful early February. It has besides insisted that Hamas disarm and time off Gaza, conditions that weren’t portion of nan ceasefire agreement.

Hamas has called for implementing nan agreement, successful which nan remaining hostages would beryllium released successful speech for nan merchandise of much Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli pullout.

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Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Fatma Khaled contributed to this study from Cairo.