Oxfam says Israeli aid blockade in Gaza City fuelling famine

Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian pauses in Gaza City is making it “even harder” to deliver desperately needed aid, Chris McIntosh, Oxfam’s humanitarian response adviser, told Al Jazeera.

Speaking via videolink from Deir el-Balah, McIntosh described severe shortages across the enclave, saying food and basic goods are now priced far beyond what most Palestinians can afford.

He added that reversing the crisis is “as simple as opening the crossings and allowing the trucks, already loaded with supplies, to enter Gaza at a steady, unhindered pace”.

“There’s nothing complicated about fixing the famine. The major holding point is the Israeli authorities and their insistence on keeping the blockade in place for ‘security reasons’,” McIntosh said.