25/05/2026

Press Release

Al-Dameer: May Marks the Worst Month for Gaza Population Since the Ceasefire Amid Near-Total Restrictions on Humanitarian Aid, Food Diversity, and the Transportation System

Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights is gravely concerned over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing genocide and the policies of siege and starvation imposed by the Israeli occupation forces on more than two million Palestinians. This comes as Eid al-Adha approaches and amid an unprecedented and severe decline in the volume of humanitarian aid permitted to enter the Gaza Strip since May 2026.

According to Al-Dameer’s field monitoring, the Israeli occupation continues to reduce humanitarian assistance and deepen the famine crisis. Dr. Ismail Al-Thawabta, Director of the Government Media Office in Gaza, reported that since the beginning of May 2026, a sharp, dangerous, and unprecedented decline has been recorded in the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into the Strip. According to documented field data, the aid that entered Gaza did not exceed 37% of the total number of trucks agreed upon. The fuel sector remains the most critical concern, as only 14% of the agreed fuel quantities were allowed entry, reflecting the occupation’s deliberate obstruction of the restoration of normal life and the continuation of essential services.

This deliberate and systematic reduction of aid has led to the worsening of famine conditions and a sharp rise in acute malnutrition rates, particularly among children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups. It has also resulted in the suspension and downsizing of international food assistance programs that previously provided tens of thousands of daily meals to displaced and homeless persons. Furthermore, the crisis of cooking gas shortages and the lack of fuel necessary to operate water wells, desalination plants, bakeries, and vital facilities continues to exacerbate the suffering of the population on a daily basis.

In a related context, the Israeli occupation continues to prohibit the entry of spare parts, mineral oils, tires, and mechanical materials under the pretext of “dual-use” restrictions. Field data indicates that not a single liter of vehicle and engine oil has entered through official channels, whether via the Ministry of Transport and Communications or the Spare Parts Traders Association.

As a result, the price of one liter of oil in the local market has surged to approximately USD 900, compared to USD 72 per liter before the war. This crisis has had catastrophic repercussions on the healthcare sector and civil defense services, amid severe difficulties in maintaining and operating ambulances, rescue vehicles, and electrical generators required to run hospitals and medical centers. This situation threatens the lives of thousands of patients and injured persons and undermines humanitarian response efforts.

Further compounding the collapse of life in Gaza, an unprecedented sacrificial livestock crisis has emerged as Eid al-Adha approaches. Dr. Nael Qdeih from the Ministry of Agriculture stated that Gaza’s markets are now entirely devoid of cows and calves, while the number of sheep and goats has declined by more than 95% due to the repeated direct targeting of livestock production facilities, in addition to the complete ban on imports, which previously constituted the primary source for meeting the population’s needs, particularly during religious occasions.

The continued prohibition on livestock entry has led to the near-total collapse of Gaza’s animal production sector. Since the beginning of the genocidal war, no livestock trucks have been allowed into the Strip, resulting in unprecedented price increases. The price of one kilogram of live lamb meat has reached approximately USD 115, while the price of a single sheep has exceeded USD 6,000, compared to only USD 400–500 before the war. Moreover, the lack of fodder and the collapse of local production threaten the survival of the remaining weak livestock, which now depend on crushed grains and food aid intended for human consumption, raising fears of the near extinction of Gaza’s livestock wealth.

Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights views with utmost alarm the systematic policies and crimes through which the Israeli occupation forces continue to use starvation and siege as tools of war against civilians in the Gaza Strip, and accordingly calls for:

• The international community, the United Nations, all its agencies, and the guarantor mediators of the ceasefire agreement to take immediate and effective measures to fully and unconditionally lift the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and ensure the unrestricted entry of all goods, commodities, and essential materials.
• The High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to exert pressure on the Israeli occupation to immediately allow the entry of humanitarian aid trucks and all mechanical supplies necessary for the operation of ambulances and vital facilities, in addition to livestock and fodder to enable citizens to perform their religious rituals. It also calls for the removal of restrictions imposed under the pretext of “dual-use” items and for permitting the entry of spare parts, mineral oils, and tires necessary for vehicles and vital equipment.

End