International NGOs have voiced serious concerns that Israel has blocked their staff and operations from delivering crucial aid in Gaza, despite the terms of the ceasefire deal, noting they have a small window to flood the enclave with resources before a brutal winter.
The majority of Palestinians remain displaced in the enclave, with most staying in makeshift shelters which will not be able to withstand strong winds and rain.
This week, the Shelter Cluster, which coordinates humanitarian shelter response and identifies the needs for displaced families, said that millions of shelter and non-food items are stuck in Egypt, Jordan and Israel, awaiting approval.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) also said that Israeli authorities have rejected at least 23 requests from nine aid agencies to bring in urgently needed shelter supplies, including tents, sealing and framing kits, bedding, kitchen sets, and blankets, amounting to nearly 4,000 pallets.
Shania Low, a spokesperson from NRC told The New Arab that around 1.5 million Palestinians are in immediate need of emergency shelter assistance, but only a fraction of supplies have arrived.
"Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will be forced to face winter exposed to the cold and rain if there is not an immediate surge of shelter materials into Gaza. Last winter, babies died from exposure and hypothermia, and unless urgent action is taken, families will continue to be at risk," Low said.
New Israeli guidelines, which came into effect on 9 September, impose vague restrictions on international NGOs, including not allowing the employment or association of someone who has called for the boycott of Israel.
The guidelines will also not allow any aid organisations that it believes "promote delegitimisation campaigns" against Israel or have expressed support for prosecution of Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli government is also demanding extensive documentation on the NGOs and their staff, including information on the personal details of their staff’s family members.
"Israel, as the occupying power, is obligated to facilitate the entry of humanitarian relief, yet many organisations, including NRC, which have valid Israeli registrations, continue to be blocked from bringing in lifesaving relief. NRC has about 200 truckloads of shelter and hygiene supplies, valued at USD 4 million, sitting in Egypt awaiting approvals to be dispatched to Gaza," Low explained.
The guidelines have garnered significant criticism from human rights experts and activists, who say it is being used as a tool to punish Palestinians and exert Israeli control.
Israel's diaspora affairs ministry has the power to reject any applications, particularly from any organisations that support "efforts to prosecute Israeli citizens in a foreign or international courts".
According to The New Humanitarian, Israel has used visa approvals and renewals to exert pressure on UN agencies and aid organisations since the start of the war on the enclave.
The publication added that the guidelines pose an existential threat to humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the West Bank.
Since the ceasefire came into effect, an average of only around 100 trucks of aid have entered Gaza each day through the UN system. However, while commercial trucks have bought in some food, prices are often too high for people to afford.
Many Palestinians have also noted that Israel is allowing in non-essential items into the enclave, while crucial items are yet to be received.
"Gaza’s most vulnerable will undoubtedly be the worst affected by the limitations on aid entering Gaza. While those with some sources of income can purchase goods available in the market, those without an income are reliant solely on aid and will suffer the consequences of aid shortages," Low said, adding that the NRC will continue to support Palestinians in whatever ways they can.
Riham Jafari, the advocacy and communications coordinator at ActionAid Palestine, told The New Arab that the level of need in Gaza is staggering.
"Mothers sheltering in tents tell us they are dreading the drop in temperatures, as they wonder how they will be able to keep their newborn babies alive without sufficient warm clothes and blankets," Jafari said.
"We know that last winter a number of babies died of hypothermia. The world cannot allow that to happen again. The solution is clear: the Israeli authorities must heed their obligations under international law and allow aid to flow into Gaza unimpeded and at scale," she added.
Israel's over two-year war on Gaza, which has been determined to be a genocide by leading rights groups, has damaged or destroyed at least 282,000 housing units in the enclave.
Aid agencies have long argued that basic shelter materials must be allowed in, while longer-term reconstruction plans are developed.
Heavy machinery is also required to clear the estimated 60 million tonnes of rubble in the Strip.
Israel's offensive has killed over 68,800 Palestinians since October 2023 and wounded over 100,000 others.