Ashdod: Far-right Israeli settlers attempted to obstruct trucks carrying humanitarian aid into the blockaded Gaza Strip via an Israeli port on Tuesday, local media reported.

According to Anadolu Agency, nearly 20 Israeli activists from the far-right organization Tsav 9 (Order 9) gathered at Ashdod Port, one of Israel's key cargo facilities, to prevent the passage of aid trucks destined for Gaza. The activists pledged to halt the dispatch of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where a severe hunger crisis is ongoing.

Israel has maintained closures of Gaza crossings to essential supplies, including food and medical aid, since March 2. This decision has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, as highlighted by government, human rights, and international reports. Despite claims by Israel that it has allowed aid into Gaza, reports indicate that only about 100 trucks have entered, meeting less than 1% of the population's basic needs.

Gaza's government media office accused Israel of disseminating disinformation about aid access to mask its alleged criminal policies. Ismail Thawabteh, the media office director, told Anadolu that no significant humanitarian aid has entered Gaza, despite the worsening humanitarian situation. The hunger crisis in Gaza has reached phase 5, the highest level on the UN's acute food security scale, which is classified as famine. According to the media office, at least 58 Palestinians have died from starvation in Gaza since October 2023.

The Israeli army continues its offensive against Gaza, which began in October 2023, resulting in over 54,000 Palestinian deaths, most of whom are women and children. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions against civilians in the enclave.