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Although the Rafah crossing with Egypt starts functioning this week, relief agencies face significant difficulties delivering assistance to Gaza City, the territory hardest impacted by food shortages, according to experts.

Infrastructure Problems

Major routes are almost unusable due to massive destruction across the devastated territory – or remain occupied by security personnel. Any transport that malfunctions is almost certainly quickly plundered.

The primary crossing, the primary access route to the northern territories, damaged by multiple years of fighting, has been closed for many days, and authorities have informed NGOs in Gaza that there are no short-term arrangements to activate the crossing, according to relief personnel.

Destruction in Northern Territories

Gaza City was the focus of a major Israeli offensive launched in August that was still under way when the peace agreement was agreed upon recently.

Destruction in the north has been widespread, with entire towns including urban centers and neighboring towns in ruins as well as many of the outlying areas of the urban center.

"Any activation of a access route into Gaza is beneficial, but we need to make sure we can reach people where they are," said an experienced official from a relief agency.

Humanitarian Situation

Observers said many of the estimated 300,000 people who have returned to the northern region from the densely populated southern area where they had been sheltering during the armed conflict were now "camping" among the destruction of their homes, often without any housing and with limited supplies or resources.

A representative from an international organization said the destruction in Gaza City was "devastating".

"We see neighborhood after neighborhood, building after building ... there is extreme need for water. It's pretty harrowing. We require every border point functioning," the spokesperson, who was in the northern city in recent days, said.

Restricted Entry

A local director based in the northern city said the necessities in what used to be the region's active economic and social center were "immense".

"There is this optimism and faith but there needs to be quick improvement on the border points. We haven't seen any significant change on the ground yet," the official stated.

"We continue to receive a small quantity of assistance [and] we are just beginning to understand the extent of damage. Numerous roads are completely covered in debris ... there is hardly any residence that is undamaged. There remains harm and unexploded ordnance across the region."

Current Progress

On Saturday, humanitarian organizations said small quantities of necessary propane entered Gaza for the initial occasion in multiple months, along with deliveries of flour, rice and fresh vegetables. The recent deliveries sent commercial prices falling.

In the central town, a community member said there had been certain progress since the truce.

"Commercial areas are stocked with food, produce, and fresh fruit, although the rates are still high and not accessible for all people," the person commented.

Cold Season Requirements

"The primary requirements at present, especially with the arrival of colder weather, are to have a shelter to protect us from the cold and cold-weather clothing because the stores do not have enough clothes for us or, if they can be found, they are scarce and very expensive."

Multiple organization-assisted bakeries in central and southern Gaza have restarted operations since the peace agreement.

Support Distribution

Transport were reported to have passed via the border access point from Israel to Gaza during the week, though exact numbers were unclear.

The nation's public broadcaster stated that Wednesday's assistance transports would include food, healthcare equipment, fuel, propane and equipment to repair crucial facilities.

"Humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza territory through the border access point and alternative access points after Israeli security inspection," an military representative commented.

Allocation Problems

But counting the volume of transports could be deceptive, cautioned a professional from a relief agency. "We must determine the contents of the vehicles and their loading status for it to be a truly significant indicator," the official added.

Business entities are sending convoys of vehicles loaded with sweets, soft drinks and light food, which have poor dietary quality, while emergency treatments for minors or others who have lacked sufficient nutrition for multiple years are unavailable.

Medical Situation

Throughout the main city, only a handful of nutritional outpatient clinics are working, compared with 45 in summer.

Various groups have substantial resources in assistance materials stored around Gaza awaiting entry. An international organization assisting the population across the region for many years has multiple months of supplies of food for everyone in Gaza prepared to be distributed.

"We maintain the materials, the tools and the expertise ... we only require the entry," said a humanitarian staff member, recently returned from Gaza.

Political Factors

A diplomatic framework details that "comprehensive" assistance should enter Gaza and be allocated through humanitarian bodies and relief organizations, without disruption from either military groups or state authorities.

This likely prohibits the debated government-supported aid group which commenced activities in earlier this year, causing chaotic scenes and numerous casualties as crowds of aid-seekers assembled around its distribution sites.

Relief representatives in Gaza {told|informed