I heard the claim recently, that "Israel feeds its enemies." This was meant as praise, but some will say it out of criticism.
Despite the naive claim, Israel does not feed its enemies and doesn't feed Gaza, not that all of Gaza is an enemy.
Before the war, 300 food trucks entered Gaza a day. That's enough to feed 3 million people, but Israel does not supply the food.
Bottom line: The international community (UN, governments, NGOs) pays for the food; commercial truckers transport it; Israel controls whether it enters.
Who Supplies the Food
| Source | Examples | Role |
|---|
| UN Agencies | UNRWA, World Food Programme (WFP) | Largest suppliers; UNRWA specifically serves Palestinian refugees |
| Government Aid | USAID, EU humanitarian aid, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey | Direct government donations and funding |
| International NGOs | Red Cross/Red Crescent, MSF, Oxfam, Save the Children | Emergency food, medical supplies |
| Local NGOs | Palestinian charities, community groups | Distribution inside Gaza |
| Private Donors | Islamic Relief, Catholic Relief Services, etc. | Faith-based and secular charities |
If 500 trucks enter daily (the pre-war Gaza average):
Assumptions:
- ~60% carry food/water = 300 food trucks
- Average truck: 20 tons capacity
- Daily food delivery: 6,000 tons (6 million kg)
- Daily food need per person: ~2 kg (including staples, not just calories)
- 6,000,000 kg ÷ 2 kg = 3 million people fed daily
This tracks — Gaza's population is ~2.3 million, and 500 trucks/day was the baseline import level for all goods (food, fuel, medicine, construction materials, commercial trade).
Current situation: During the 2024-2025 war, daily aid often dropped to 10-50 trucks/day — roughly 5-10% of minimum needs, which is why famine conditions developed.