Twenty humanitarian aid trucks carrying food and medical supplies entered the Gaza Strip Saturday morning from Egypt’s Rafah border crossing. It’s the first convoy to enter Gaza since Hamas terrorists ambushed Israel on October 7 and carried out the most deadly attack against Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Israel lay siege on the Gaza Strip last week after giving Palestinian civilians 24 hours to exit the region. Amid Israel’s counter-offensive, officials collaborated with the United States, United Nations, and Egypt to ensure that any humanitarian aid would go to relocated Palestinian civilians in southern Gaza, not Hamas terrorists.
More than 200 trucks are still outside of the Egypt–Israel border waiting to funnel 3,000 tons of water, food, and medical supplies into Gaza. Before the Israeli government authorizes subsequent deliveries, it has asked for proof that Hamas does not seize humanitarian aid. So far, a United Nations official said on Saturday, “verification procedures are still under discussion.”
“Hamas must not interfere with the provision of this life-saving assistance,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Saturday. “Palestinian civilians are not responsible for Hamas’s horrific terrorism, and they should not be made to suffer for its depraved acts. As President Biden stated, if Hamas steals or diverts this assistance it will have demonstrated once again that it has no regard for the welfare of the Palestinian people and as a practical matter it will hinder the international community from being able to provide this aid.”
In a since-deleted statement, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said that Hamas looted a warehouse and stole fuel and medical supplies meant for Gazan refugees last week. The UNRWA later said that what it originally branded a “loot” was just “a movement of basic medical supplies from the UNRWA warehouse to health partners,” but did not specify which partners.
Israeli officials, though, confirmed that a Hamas theft occurred. Shortly after, Energy Minister Israel Katz called to stop aid to Gaza until Hamas is obliterated.
“Hamas is robbing the ‘humanitarian aid’ to the Palestinian people. There’s no reason to give them anything until we eliminate the Nazi Hamas,” he said. Israel has since resumed water supply to Southern Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said after President Joe Biden visited Israel this week that “Israel will not thwart humanitarian supplies from Egypt as long as it is only food, water and medicine for the civilian population in the southern Gaza Strip,” but added that “Israel will not allow any humanitarian aid from its territory to the Gaza Strip as long as our hostages are not returned.”
Biden announced on Wednesday that the U.S. would give Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank $100 million in humanitarian assistance.
“Civilians are not to blame and should not suffer for Hamas’s horrific terrorism,” his administration said. “Civilian lives must be protected and assistance must urgently reach those in need. We will continue to work closely with partners in the region to stress the importance of upholding the law of war, supporting those who are trying to get to safety or provide assistance, and facilitating access to food, water, medical care, and shelter.”
Israel’s medical supplies depleted rapidly when Hamas ambushed the country almost two weeks ago. Mark Gerson, the cofounder of a volunteer emergency response service in Israel, United Hatzalah, said that the supplies Israeli first responders “thought would last ten to eleven months was gone over the weekend.” According to a United Hatzalah representative, Palestinian terrorists cornered a Muslim Arab-Israeli medic who immediately responded to the terror attacks. When he begged terrorists to spare his life and recited the Koran to prove he was a Muslim, Hamas shot him in the face.