The Israeli military wants to limit aid deliveries to Gaza to a third of what Israel is required to allow to enter the Strip.
The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday that the IDF has recommended restricting aid deliveries to Gaza to 200 trucks per day. The Israeli military claims that this is the amount of aid required to sustain the Palestinians, and additional aid is given to Hamas.
Under the deal between Hamas and Israel brokered by President Donald Trump in October, Tel Aviv agreed to allow 600 aid trucks to enter Gaza each day. Throughout most of the ceasefire period, Israel has kept aid deliveries to a minimum. Over the past week, 600 trucks per day have entered Gaza.
While the Israeli military claims the Palestinians are “flooded” with supplies, aid agencies say the people of Gaza are still struggling to survive. Most people in Gaza are displaced and living in tents. Israel is refusing to allow temporary housing to enter Gaza, leading to several children freezing to death.
The UN’s humanitarian affairs spokesperson, Olga Cherevko, said aid organizations were still facing “severe limitations.”
The assertion that Hamas is stealing a large portion of the aid that enters Gaza has also been debunked by multiple investigations.
In addition to restricting the number of aid deliveries into Gaza, the IDF wants to maintain that all aid going to Gaza enters through Israel. Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt is scheduled to be reopened within the coming week. The IDF wants to prevent cargo from entering the Strip via Egypt.
“In the months leading up to Oct. 7, some 11,000 trucks entered Gaza unchecked via Rafah, four times higher than in previous years. Aid to Gaza must go through Israeli crossings under supervision.” The IDF official continued, “At most, Kerem Shalom could one day serve as a border triangle or resemble the cargo terminals at the Allenby crossing with Jordan.”
