International humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders has issued a strong rebuke of Israel’s blockade on Gaza, condemning what they call the weaponization of humanitarian aid during the ongoing conflict.
Top Takeaways
- Israel has imposed a complete blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza, cutting off essential supplies including food, medicine, and fuel
- Doctors Without Borders calls the blockade “collective punishment” that violates international humanitarian law
- The aid freeze has forced water desalination plants to reduce production, threatening access to clean water
- Humanitarian organizations have supplies ready but cannot deliver them due to Israeli restrictions
- The blockade appears tied to ceasefire negotiations, with Israel using aid access as leverage against Hamas
Aid Blockade Creates Humanitarian Crisis
The Israeli government has completely halted the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, creating dire conditions for over two million Palestinians already struggling with the effects of ongoing conflict. Aid organizations report that no supplies have entered Gaza since late February, threatening to undo progress made during the temporary ceasefire period. The blockade affects critical supplies including food, medicine, fuel, and other essentials needed by Gaza’s civilian population, most of whom have been displaced from their homes during months of fighting.
The situation has become particularly acute with Israel’s decision to cut electricity to Gaza’s two main desalination plants, severely reducing access to clean water for the population. With fuel supplies dwindling, these facilities cannot maintain operations at capacity. The blockade has also led to skyrocketing prices for basic necessities, further straining families already living in precarious conditions in temporary shelters or amid destroyed infrastructure.
#Gaza: Doctors Without Borders condemns the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, depriving people of essential services like water and electricity.
Using humanitarian needs as a bargaining chip amounts to collective punishment and must be stopped.https://t.co/uuqJUBPmzD
— Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (@MSF_canada) March 11, 2025
Doctors Without Borders Condemns “Collective Punishment”
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has taken a firm stance against what they describe as Israel’s use of humanitarian aid as a negotiation tool. The organization’s emergency coordinator Myriam Laaroussi emphasized that the blockade violates fundamental principles of humanitarian assistance and international law. MSF reports that their own medical supply shipments have been blocked since February 27, limiting their ability to provide care in Gaza’s overwhelmed health facilities.
“Israeli authorities are yet again normalizing the use of aid as a negotiation tool,” said Myriam Laaroussi, MSF emergency coordinator. “Humanitarian aid should never be used as a bargaining chip in war. The blockade on all supplies is inevitably hurting hundreds of thousands of people and is having deadly consequences.”
The organization has called on Israeli authorities to immediately lift the blockade and allow humanitarian operations to resume. They have also appealed to Israel’s allies, particularly the United States, to intervene and prevent further deterioration of conditions in Gaza.
Aid Weaponized in Ceasefire Negotiations
The aid freeze appears strategically timed to coincide with ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the blockade is meant to pressure Hamas to extend the temporary ceasefire and release additional hostages. This approach has drawn criticism from multiple international aid organizations who argue that civilian access to humanitarian assistance should never be conditioned on political or military objectives.
The International Court of Justice is currently reviewing a case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, with the blockade potentially adding to evidence in that proceeding. Human rights groups have specifically pointed to the aid restrictions as possibly constituting the use of starvation as a weapon of war. Meanwhile, humanitarian workers express frustration at having supplies positioned and ready for delivery but being unable to distribute them due to the closure of entry points.
