Agencies Tel Aviv

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip blocked and offloaded dozens of food trucks, the UN World Food Programme said on Saturday, as desperation mounts following Israel's months-long blockade and airstrikes while talks of a ceasefire inch forward. The WFP said that 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, were stopped by hungry people who took the food before the trucks were able to reach their destination.

A nearly three-month Israeli blockade on Gaza has pushed the population to the brink of famine. While the pressure slightly eased in recent days as Israel allowed some aid to enter, organisations say there still isn't nearly enough food getting in. Hamas on Friday said it was reviewing a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire. US President Donald Trump said that negotiators were nearing a deal.

A ceasefire would pause the fighting for 60 days, release some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and much needed food aid and other assistance, according to Hamas and Egyptian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media.

The WFP said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high despite the food aid that's entering now. "We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming," said agency said in a statement.