Israel is letting a trickle of aid into Gaza for the first time in 2 1/2 months. Here's what to know

Israel has begun allowing a trickle of food and medicine into the Gaza Strip after sealing the territory's 2 million Palestinians off from all imports for more than 2 1/2 months.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he eased the blockade under pressure from unnamed allies to shore up support for Israel's latest major offensive against Hamas. Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians in recent days, and the humanitarian crisis is the worst it's been in 19 months of war.

United Nations agencies and aid groups, which ran out of food to distribute weeks ago, have welcomed the move but say the promised aid is nowhere near what's needed. Only five trucks have entered Gaza since Monday, the U.N. says, compared to around 600 per day during a ceasefire earlier this year.

Experts have warned of famine if the blockade is not lifted and the military operation continues. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises.

The U.K., France and Canada, close allies of Israel, called the aid ''wholly inadequate'' and threatened ''concrete actions," including sanctions, over Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Here's a closer look.

Why is Israel blocking humanitarian aid?

Israel imposed a complete ban on imports on March 2, saying it hoped to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement that was more favorable to Israel than the one the group had signed in January. Two weeks later, Israel shattered the truce with a wave of airstrikes that killed hundreds.

Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid and using it to fund its military activities, without providing evidence. The U.N. says there are mechanisms in place that prevent any significant diversion of aid.

Israel is also trying to pressure Hamas to release more of the hostages it abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. In that assault, militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people hostage. Israel's ensuing offensive has killed over 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which says women and children make up most of the dead but does not specify how many were fighters or civilians.

Hamas has said it will only return the remaining 58 hostages — around a third of whom are believed to be alive — in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from the territory.

Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying Israel will continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is either destroyed or disarmed and sent into exile. Even then, he has vowed to maintain control over the territory and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its Palestinian population.

Palestinians, the Arab world and most of the international community have rejected those plans. Human rights experts say they would likely amount to mass expulsion in violation of international law.

What impact has the blockade had on Gaza?

Gaza's population is almost entirely reliant on international aid, as Israel's offensive has destroyed nearly all the territory's food production capabilities and displaced some 90% of the population.

Local markets offer only small amounts of vegetables at exorbitant prices. Most people depend on charity kitchens that have been steadily closing as they run out of food. Thousands gather outside such kitchens each day, jostling with pots for a few ladles of soup, rice or lentils. Many return empty-handed.

The U.N. children's agency says over 9,000 children have been treated for malnutrition so far this year. Thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as sick, older, or disabled people who cannot push their way through the crowds, are also at heightened risk.

Up to 20% of Gaza's estimated 55,000 pregnant women are malnourished, and half face high-risk pregnancies, according to the United Nations Population Fund. In February and March, at least 20% of newborns were born prematurely or suffered from malnutrition or other complications.

Hospitals meanwhile say they are running low on medical supplies, even as they cope with daily mass casualties from Israeli strikes.

What is Israel's plan for taking over aid distribution?

Netanyahu said this week's easing of the blockade is aimed at bridging the gap before the rollout of a new system for distributing aid that Israel says is aimed at keeping it out of Hamas' hands.

A new group supported by the United States, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, made up of American security contractors, former government and humanitarian officials and ex-military officers, plans to establish four distribution sites guarded by private security firms. Each would serve 300,000 people, with its total reach covering only around half the population.

U.N. agencies and aid groups have refused to take part in the plan, saying it won't meet local needs and would violate humanitarian principles by letting Israel control who receives aid, rather than delivering it based on need. They have also warned that it will cause new waves of displacement as people are forced to relocate to the hubs being built in southern Gaza.

Those groups say there is plenty of aid stockpiled just outside of Gaza and that they can quickly distribute it within the territory if Israel allows them to.

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