“No Aid, Just Bombs”: Testimonies from Gaza Expose the Occupation’s False Claims.
GAZA STRIP — May 21, 2025
Despite repeated public announcements by the occupation authorities claiming that humanitarian aid is entering Gaza, residents on the ground paint a vastly different picture. Instead of flour, water, and medicine, what has rained down on Gaza over the past weeks has been one of the most brutal bombing campaigns in recent memory.
Sa7ten's field team reports paint a stark contrast between international headlines and on-the-ground reality. "We delayed our aid distribution by a day or two because we were hearing so many reports that aid was finally entering Gaza and prices would drop," said Abu Salah, Sa7ten's field coordinator. "But nothing happened. There was no change—just rumors, just media manipulation to ease the international pressure on the occupation."
Across the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian catastrophe deepens. Food prices have skyrocketed beyond the reach of most families. Flour—if it can even be found—sells for 120 shekels per kilo, and much of it is spoiled or moldy. "Not a single kilo of flour has entered," Ahmad, Sa7ten's field operations manager confirmed. "People are grinding pasta and lentils, mixing them together and baking them just to survive another day."
These makeshift meals are all that stand between survival and starvation for many. Yet even these minimal coping mechanisms are running out. As of this week, local teams on the ground report that at least 40 people have died of hunger across Gaza—a toll that is likely to rise if the siege continues.
Despite repeated statements from occupation officials that "convoys have entered" or "aid is flowing in," the actual aid reaching Gaza remains negligible. "They said 30 trucks came in. That's nothing. And two of them went to international organizations, not to families. Nothing tangible has reached the people," Abu Salah explained.
The consequences of this policy are not just felt in hunger but in despair. "Our youth told us, 'We're not afraid of dying. We're afraid of starving.' Death means martyrdom to them. Hunger is the true nightmare," Ahmad said.
The occupation continues to frame its blockade as a security measure. But for our people in Gaza, the consequences are unmistakably human: parents mixing lentils with pasta to feed their children; families wandering the ruins of bombed-out homes in search of anything edible; children waking up not to the smell of bread but to the sound of drones.
Distribution efforts by local volunteers continue despite the risk and logistical challenges. Our team members navigate destroyed neighborhoods and informal tent settlements, delivering vegetables and essentials to anyone they can reach. "We didn't target any one group. We walked through the streets, alleys, ruins—reaching children, elders, the injured, entire families. But our reach is limited. Gaza doesn't need hundreds of food parcels—it needs hundreds of thousands," Abu Salah said.
Meanwhile, the global community continues to issue statements, some stronger than others. Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and even the United Kingdom have expressed concern and called for aid access. But on the ground, no material improvement has been felt. "The occupation is ruled by a gang," Ahmad said bluntly. "Not a government. A gang that only knows how to kill, destroy, and starve a population."
In a genocidal war marked by repeated violations of international law, the denial of humanitarian access and the deliberate use of starvation as a weapon adds yet another layer to this systematic brutality. Gaza is not only under siege—it is being methodically stripped of its most basic needs under a cloud of false assurances and weaponized disinformation from the occupation forces.
As hunger tightens its grip on Gaza, one message from the people resonates loud and clear: "There is no aid. There is only bombing. And we are running out of time," Ahmad emphasized.
This must end with an immediate and permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza, and an end to the relentless bombardment that has devastated Gazans lives and infrastructure.