By: Diya’ Na‘im al-Safadi and Bakr ‘Abdul Hamid al-Dabous.
(Exclusively for al-Zaytouna Centre).
This paper examines the state of humanitarian aid amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza Strip (GS) since 7/10/2023. More than two million people are enduring a suffocating siege that has exacerbated famine, undermined food security and further deteriorated health and humanitarian conditions. Although international humanitarian law obliges parties to a conflict to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and criminalizes the use of starvation as a method of warfare, Israel continues to impose strict restrictions on its entry and exercises arbitrary control over its distribution. Consequently, aid fails to reach those most in need, intensifying the severity of the humanitarian catastrophe and worsening both security and humanitarian conditions in GS.
The significance of this paper, published by Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations, in Arabic, and prepared by researchers Diya’ Na‘im al-Safadi and Bakr ‘Abdul Hamid al-Dabous, lies in its integration of theoretical, legal and practical dimensions. It focuses specifically on the Israeli war on GS 2023–2025 and its repercussions on humanitarian aid. The study is distinguished by its provision of an in-depth legal analysis coupled with actionable recommendations, drawing on multiple research methodologies; descriptive, analytical and applied, thereby rendering it a comprehensive study. Furthermore, it highlights current challenges in aid delivery, such as the politicization of food and the absence of effective oversight, making it an essential reference for understanding the humanitarian crisis in GS and proposing practical solutions.
In this paper, the researchers highlighted three main axes. First, humanitarian aid, addressing its concept, theoretical and legal dimensions, and its role in protecting civilians. Second, the law, which clarifies the obligations of the parties to the conflict and the authority of Israel (the occupier) under international law. Third, the reality on the ground, examining the challenges facing the delivery of aid to GS, including the blockade, deliberate starvation, and the absence of effective monitoring mechanisms. This analysis provides an in-depth study of the humanitarian aid situation in GS during the Israeli war from 7/10/2023, up to the time of writing.
The researchers also put forward practical recommendations to ensure that aid reaches its beneficiaries safely, fairly and transparently. These include the necessity of activating strict and independent monitoring mechanisms to oversee the entry and distribution of aid, enhancing transparency and accountability in the work of international and local organizations, ensuring unrestricted and safe access for relief convoys, empowering local communities to manage the distribution process, applying international pressure to stop the politicization of food and attacks on humanitarian workers, and combating organized chaos and theft of aid, thereby guaranteeing that assistance is directed directly and transparently to those in need. Furthermore, the researchers call for the abolition of ineffective new regulations while reinforcing the role of UN agencies and international humanitarian institutions to ensure equitable and secure aid distribution.
The paper concludes that the famine in GS was a deliberately manufactured situation, resulting directly from Israeli blockade and obstruction policies. Addressing it requires genuine political will, coordinated international efforts, and an end to blatant violations of humanitarian law. It emphasizes that humanitarian action must remain above political and military calculations, and underscores that the continuation of this catastrophic situation undermines not only human dignity but also regional and international stability. Humanitarian efforts for GS today are, therefore, efforts for humanity as a whole.
| Click here to download: >> Academic Paper: Humanitarian Aid: Concept, Law and Reality: The Israeli War on Gaza as a Case Study 2023-2025 … Diya’ Na‘im al-Safadi and Bakr ‘Abdul Hamid al-Dabous (Arabic)  (45 pages, 4.1 MB) |
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