Report Fighting, logistical problems and diversions… On the border between Israel and Gaza, these questions piling up on humanitarian aid

If many voices insist that Israel allow the delivery of more humanitarian aid, and in particular food, into the Gaza Strip, on the Israeli side, the response is that it is not enough to send trucks through in numbers to so that Gazans can benefit from it.

A loud explosion in the distance: the war in Gaza is only a few hundred meters away, but here in Kerem Shalom, the only crossing point open between Israel and the Gaza Strip, is humanitarian aid passing, one truck after another… All loads are inspected in detail, explains Colonel Moshe Tetro, head for Gaza of the Israeli Defense Ministry body overseeing civilian activities in the Palestinian Territories (Cogat ). “These trucks you see just came in from Egypt two minutes ago. They will go through security checks via the scanner, which is behind these walls. Then the goods are unloaded and the trucks of the humanitarian organizations will take them and distribute them in the Gaza Strip.he explains.

Going as far as doubling the volume of humanitarian aid sent to Gaza would not pose a problem, assures the Israeli side: the Kerem Shalom post has the space, personnel and equipment to do this. The problem then is: the final delivery.

The World Food Program has had to abandon three large convoys in recent days in order to supply the north of the enclave. The fighting prevented the passage of trucks. Obviously, the Israeli army’s tactical pauses are not always respected. And then, there is still the lack of real resources from the UN agencies, underlines Colonel Tetro.

“Not enough staff, not enough trucks… We move more than 200 trucks per day! The problem is whether, on the other side, they can manage that”

Moshe Tetro

at franceinfo

“Hamas stole humanitarian materials”

Added to the logistical problems in the Gaza Strip is Hamas itself, which does not hesitate to take control of the shipments, according to Colonel Olivier Rafowicz, spokesperson for the Israeli army. “Hamas tried to steal and stole humanitarian supplies from trucks. They got on trucks with automatic weapons and fired into the air to get the crowd to move away. It was filmed. They killed a child and the Palestinians who wanted to approach the child had to hide because Hamas was shooting“, he says.

7,600 humanitarian shipments have entered the Gaza Strip since October 21. But between the continuation of the fighting in the so-called humanitarian corridors, the logistical problems of UN agencies and the diversions, many Gazans have still not seen the color of this.