'Gaza is being starved': Campaigners drive ‘aid trucks’ through Westminster

Campaigners have driven “aid trucks” through Westminster in protest of Israel blocking supplies from entering Gaza.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on Sunday that Israel had definitively barred it from making aid deliveries in northern Gaza, where the threat of famine is highest. Israel says the agency is connected to Hamas.

Save the Children says the four 'aid trucks’ illustrate the deliveries that are “right now being deliberately denied access by the Government of Israel” and feature the words “Gaza is being starved”.

The BBC reports that Israel says it has enabled 350 trucks to make deliveries in the last month in northern Gaza, but aid agencies say the whole territory needs 500 each day.

Alison Griffin, head of influencing at Save the Children UK, said:  “Children in Gaza are dying of malnutrition and disease. This is a direct result of the government of Israel preventing life-saving aid from reaching children. Famine is now imminent. 

“The UN Security Council’s adoption of a temporary ceasefire resolution is a first step in providing children and families in Gaza with respite from nearly six months of bombing, maiming and starvation. More than ever, Gaza’s children now need concrete actions – not words. It is imperative that the UK fulfil its obligations to ensure this resolution is implemented and children are protected.” 

The action was organised by Save the Children and supported by ActionAid UK, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Islamic Relief UK, Action for Humanity and Medical Aid for Palestinians.

The seven charities have joined together to call on the UK government to immediately publicly support an immediate, permanent ceasefire and use their diplomatic power to "end the government of Israel’s siege and denial of humanitarian aid into Gaza".

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They called for the UK government to reinstate and scale up funding to UNRWA and immediately suspend arms licences and exports to the government of Israel.

People in Gaza face dire humanitarian conditions as a result of Israel’s war against Hamas, following Hamas’s terrorist attacks on October 7.

Last week a UN-backed food security assessment warned that famine is projected to hit the north of Gaza by May unless there is urgent intervention.

The latest data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) – the global scale to classify food and nutrition crises – says approximately 1.1 million people are facing catastrophic food insecurity. For families, this means children are dying of malnutrition or being forced to live off hay and animal food. 

The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures.

Israel’s military campaign to eliminate Hamas has killed at least 32,226 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.