Israeli protesters blocked trucks they say are carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, in the coastal city of Ashdod, on February 1, 2024.   (AFP photo)

Gaza City, February 6 (RHC)-- Families of Israelis held captive in Gaza have blocked dozens of trucks carrying humanitarian aid to desperate Palestinians in the besieged strip.  A group of protesters gathered at the Karim Abu Salem crossing, blocking the trucks from entering the territory on Tuesday.

They called on the head of the regime to work for the release of their family members held by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas during Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the regime on October 7, 2023.  They say aid should be in exchange for the release of captives.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who ordered the military forces to attack Gaza with a force “like never before” on that October day, has so far rejected any deal with Hamas for the release of captives.  Ever since, the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza has been living under a “complete siege.”

The United Nations warns that famine is looming in Gaza, as the World Food Program (WHO) figures indicate that 93 percent of the population faces crisis levels of hunger.  According to a UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Israel has been using hunger as a “weapon” against Palestinians.

“Israel is clearly and systematically obstructing access to food for all civilians in Gaza,” Turkish news agency Anadolu quoted Michael Fakhri as saying on Tuesday.  “UN humanitarian teams reported that reaching everyone in need of food and water in Gaza is almost impossible due to Israel’s obstruction of humanitarian aid.”  He said “2.2 million people in Gaza are hungry.”