The Hamas Movement on Monday accused the Israeli occupation authorities of deliberately restricting life-saving humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, warning that the limited number of trucks allowed to enter the besieged territory “does not meet even the minimum of basic needs,” as Gaza’s population braces for another brutal winter under siege.

In a strongly worded statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the majority of trucks permitted by Israel carry “non-essential supplementary goods designated for commercial purposes,” rather than food, medical supplies, shelter materials, and other humanitarian essentials urgently needed by civilians. He noted that this policy prolongs and deepens the already catastrophic living conditions engineered by the months-long blockade and repeated military assaults.

Qassem stressed that the situation in shelters is reaching a breaking point. Existing tents and temporary structures are “uninhabitable and incapable of withstanding the harsh winter conditions,” he said, underscoring the growing risk of widespread suffering, illness, and death—especially among children, the elderly, and the displaced.

He added that the Palestinian resistance had previously demanded the immediate entry of mobile homes (caravans) as part of humanitarian protocols agreed upon during the January ceasefire and reaffirmed in the Sharm el-Sheikh understandings. These caravans were meant to provide safe, insulated shelter for thousands of families who lost their homes to Israeli bombardment. According to Qassem, Israel continues to obstruct their entry, violating negotiated humanitarian terms and exposing civilians to preventable danger.

Hamas called on mediators and concerned nations to “take urgent and serious action” to force Israel to allow caravans and essential supplies into Gaza before approaching winter storms strike. Qassem warned that without immediate intervention, Gaza could witness a repeat—or even escalation—of the tragic scenes seen in previous winters, when flooding, cold, and inadequate shelter led to widespread suffering in displacement camps.

Humanitarian organizations have long warned that Gaza’s blockade, combined with systematic restrictions on aid, amounts to collective punishment of a civilian population already enduring one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. With winter approaching and reconstruction blocked, Gaza’s displaced families face yet another season of danger under occupation-imposed scarcity. (ILKHA)