Guterres Says Israel Has Only Allowed a ‘Teaspoon’ of Aid for Gaza

Gaza (Quds News Network)- UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Israel on Friday for permitting only a “teaspoon” of aid to enter Gaza, far below what is needed to ease the humanitarian crisis.

Guterres warned that without quick, safe, and sustained aid access, many more people in Gaza will die. He stressed the urgent need for a massive flow of assistance to the besieged population.

Israel had claimed that it allowed about 300 aid trucks into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. But Guterres said only about a third of those trucks have reached warehouses inside Gaza due to security and logistical challenges. Meanwhile, Israel continues to besiege northern Gaza, where about one million Palestinians suffer from famine.

Israel supports a new US-backed aid distribution plan run by the controversial newly founded ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation‘. This plan would use private contractors with military backgrounds and bypass the UN and traditional aid groups. Guterres rejected the plan, saying the UN will not join any scheme that violates humanitarian principles or international law.

He highlighted that vital supplies such as fuel, water purification materials, cooking gas, and shelter remain blocked. “The people of Gaza are enduring the cruellest phase of this conflict,” Guterres said. “Families are being starved and denied the very basics.”

The UN has prepared 160,000 pallets of aid, enough to fill nearly 9,000 trucks. Guterres urged all parties to allow the UN and partners to distribute aid effectively. He outlined a five-stage aid plan ready for implementation, including inspection, transport, and distribution by humanitarian teams.

Guterres called again for a permanent ceasefire and full humanitarian access. He warned that without immediate and reliable aid delivery, the long-term consequences for Gaza’s population will be devastating.

“This is my appeal for life-saving aid for the long-suffering people of Gaza: Let’s do it right. And let’s do it right away,” he said.

United Nations agencies and humanitarian groups had refused to cooperate with the Israeli-US ‘aid delivery mechanism’ for Gaza. They stated that the plan violates core humanitarian principles and is designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a military strategy.

“It is dangerous,” they warned, “driving civilians into militarized zones to collect rations, threatening lives, including those of humanitarian workers, while further entrenching forced displacement.”