Impact of the blockade on Gaza on mobility and humanitarian aid
In a move that redefines the map of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army announced the permanent closure of Al Rashid Street to Palestinians traveling from the south to the north. The measure tightens the blockade on Gaza and cuts off the last avenue that allowed displaced people to dream of an eventual return to their homes.
The announcement was made by the army's Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichai Adrai. He explained that starting at noon, the artery was closed to anyone attempting to return north. However, he clarified that movement southward "will be permitted without inspections."
International organizations point out that this closure consolidates the division of the Strip and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis. What is presented on paper as a "humanitarian gesture" is experienced on the ground as forced displacement.
A humanitarian corridor or a dead end?
The UN and humanitarian organizations warn that "free movement" southward is actually a condemnation. Southern Gaza is overcrowded, with water and food shortages and collapsed health services.
For displaced families, the blockade in Gaza means losing the ability to return north, verify whether their homes are still standing, or assist relatives. The door to return is padlocked, and hope for reconstruction fades.
The impact of the blockade on Gaza on daily life
The closure of Al Rashid Street turns thousands of displaced people into internal exiles. The Strip, already densely populated, is split in two: a phantom north under military offensive and a south transformed into a gigantic makeshift camp.
The UN insists that such measures deepen the crisis and calls for the opening of verifiable safe corridors. However, humanitarian aid continues to trickle in, and its distribution is becoming increasingly difficult.
Military offensive and immediate consequences
The blockade of Gaza is part of a ground offensive advancing on Gaza City. According to local authorities, more than 66,100 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023 and more than 168,000 have been injured.
The closure of routes like Al Rashid not only limits mobility but also puts pressure on southern border crossings, further complicating the entry of food, water, and medicine.
For the international community, easing the blockade on Gaza is a necessary condition for increasing assistance, relieving pressure, and avoiding an even greater catastrophe.
International reactions and calls for mediation
Israel's move quickly generated global repercussions. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the blockade of Gaza, including the closure of Al Rashid, "puts at immediate risk the lives of thousands of civilians who depend on access to food, water, and medical care." Organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also expressed concern, calling the decision a further step toward the "forced displacement" of the Palestinian population.
For their part, regional countries such as Egypt and Jordan called for the opening of verifiable humanitarian corridors to allow for the sustained entry of aid. European diplomats pointed out that the lack of basic supplies in southern Gaza creates an unsustainable short-term scenario and called on the UN Security Council to address the issue urgently.
The human cost behind the figures
Behind the official figures of the dead, wounded, and displaced, the blockade in Gaza translates into daily tragedies. Entire families who once lived in neighborhoods of Gaza City now survive in makeshift tents, with only a few hours of electricity a day and endless lines for bread or drinking water. Hospitals that were already operating at their limits are overwhelmed, forcing doctors and volunteers to choose which patients to treat first.
The most vulnerable population—children, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses—are the ones suffering the most from the blockade. Without access to essential medicines and with international aid trickling in, each day becomes a struggle for survival.
An uncertain future for Gaza
The closure of Al Rashid Street consolidates the partition of the Strip and poses a long-term scenario in which Palestinian mobility is almost completely restricted. Experts point out that if permanent humanitarian corridors are not established, the crisis could lead to an even greater exodus toward the Egyptian borders, generating new regional tensions.
In this context, the international community faces the challenge of finding a balance between Israel's legitimate security concerns and the fundamental rights of the Palestinian population. The blockade of Gaza is no longer just a local problem: it has become a symbol of the fragility of the international order and the difficulty of protecting civilians in the midst of protracted conflicts.
