With global attention turned to Iran, Gaza’s food situation—which had seen moderate, although insufficient improvements under the October “ceasefire”—is deteriorating again. Gaza residents are facing rising food prices and worsening shortages as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran disrupts already fragile supply lines, with restricted crossings and limited truck access worsening an already severe crisis.
Israel closed Gaza’s crossings on February 28, the day the Iran offensive began, halting humanitarian access entirely. Israeli authorities later reopened the Karem Abu Salem crossing for “gradual entry” of aid, but the Rafah crossing with Egypt has remained shut. The WHO reports that only around 200 trucks a day are entering Gaza against a required minimum of 600, Al Jazeera reports.
The baseline was already grim. A UN-backed IPC analysis published in December anticipated that through mid-April 2026, around 571,000 people remain in emergency conditions, with approximately 1,900 facing catastrophe-level hunger. The report expected that by October 2026, around 101,000 children under five would suffer acute malnutrition, including more than 31,000 severe cases.
