Restore Aid and End the Cycle of Instability and Violence

Anera is profoundly concerned by the closure of all entry points into Gaza, announced by Israel on Sunday, March 2, and immediately put into effect. The move, which halts critical aid shipments and guarantees a worsening of Gaza’s already dire humanitarian crisis, comes as negotiations on the next phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas falter.

Civilians in Gaza have already suffered and survived nearly 17 months of warfare, starvation, and one of the most destructive military campaigns in modern history. Just last week, media reports suggest another seven babies died from hypothermia due to the dire conditions. Any disruption in the flow of urgently needed aid into Gaza will have dire economic, psychological, and educational consequences, impacting health and wellbeing in the short term, hindering recovery in the medium term, and perpetuating cycles of violence while diminishing hope for peaceful coexistence in the long term. Anera has 27 trucks ready to enter Gaza that have all been held up due to the closure. Some of the aid, like fresh produce, is perishable and will quickly spoil. The same circumstances confront the whole aid pipeline organized by UN agencies and other international non-profits.

New Oversight Measures Will Hinder Future Aid Deliveries

COGAT (the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) announced late last week some updates to Gaza’s humanitarian coordination, with onerous new oversight measures that will take effect once a ceasefire is lifted. The changes include ever more stringent processing of all aid through a single mechanism, new multi-layered customs inspections, and the establishment of a logistics hub inside Gaza through which Israeli authorities would directly oversee distribution.

Anera views this latest proposal for Gaza, which would impose stricter military control over humanitarian assistance than was in place before the war, as a move in decidedly the wrong direction. This approach signals a trajectory that will only heighten suffering, prolong instability, violence and extremism, and eliminate any real opportunity for peace and coexistence.

The Path to Lasting Peace

The question for Israel, the United States, and those advocating for peaceful coexistence is clear: Are we willing to do the work necessary to humanize and empower Palestinians, or will we continue down a path of dehumanization, disenfranchisement, and exclusion? True security does not come from control, repression and occupation—it comes from dignity, opportunity, and mutual recognition of rights.

For decades, restrictive policies and military oversight have fueled cycles of resistance and violence. A new approach is needed. The international community must understand that military power cannot bring peace. What is required is a commitment to human rights as well as economic and social rebuilding.

Anera remains committed to its humanitarian and long-term human development work, advocating for fundamental human dignity and ensuring that lifesaving aid and economic opportunity reaches those who need it most. We will continue to push back against policies that worsen suffering and work tirelessly to provide relief and development amid this ongoing crisis.