Turned back from Gaza, aid shipments languish in warehouses, on roadsides
Seven aid officials and three truckers interviewed by Reuters listed a host of obstacles, ranging from rejections of shipments for minor packing and paperwork issues to heavy scrutiny over possible dual military use for a range of goods, as well as short working hours at the Israeli border crossing.
The supplies seen by Reuters on Monday on the stalled truck and trailer outside Egypt's Rafah border crossing carried blue logos of the World Health Organisation and labels describing contents like topical medications and suction devices to clean wounds.
A WHO employee working at the border said the cargo was blocked for carrying "illegal medicines". Reuters could not independently verify why the trucks were not allowed to enter Gaza and the Israeli military, authority in charge of coordinating aid. did not respond to a question about why they were not let into the enclave.
Reuters visited Egypt's border with Gaza on Monday on a trip organised by the Elders, a group of former world leaders set up by late South African President Nelson Mandela that backs a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Some Elders members have been highly critical of Israel's conduct in Gaza, including former Irish President Mary Robinson and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who joined the border trip.
Responding to international outrage sparked by images of starving Gazans, Israel on July 27 announced measures to let more aid into Gaza. But aid agencies say only a fraction of what they send is getting in. Israel strongly denies limiting aid supplies.
Speaking to reporters at the Rafah crossing, Clark expressed shock at the amount of aid turned back at the border.
'To see this crossing, which should be a place where people interact with each other, where people can come and go, where people aren't under blockade, where people who are ill can leave to come out – to see it just silent for the people, it's absolutely shocking for us,' Clark said.
'BUREAUCRATIC HURDLES, DELAYS'
Approvals and clearance procedures that got a shipment through the Rafah border crossing "within a few days" of arrival in Egypt during a ceasefire earlier in the war now took "minimum one month,' according to the WHO employee at the border.
On Monday, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said at least 1,334 trucks had entered Gaza through all land crossings, including from Egypt, since the Israeli measures announced on July 27, but this was far short of the 9,000 that would have gone in if 600 trucks had entered per day. The United States has said a minimum of 600 trucks per day are needed to feed Gaza's population.
Reuters could not independently confirm the reasons for the delays described in this article or the specific figures supplied by those interviewed.
Asked for its response to allegations of curbs on aid flows, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, COGAT, said Israel invests 'considerable efforts' in aid distribution. It said about 300 trucks had been transferred daily in "recent weeks," mostly carrying food, via all land crossings.
"Despite the claims made, the State of Israel allows and facilitates the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip without any quantitative limit on the number of aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip,' COGAT said. The agency did not address specific questions about aid shipment volumes.
In mid-July, Israel introduced a requirement that shipments of humanitarian aid arriving from Egypt undergo customs clearance. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Israel's move led to "additional bureaucratic hurdles, delays and costs for humanitarian organisations".
UN agencies were exempted from customs clearance from Egypt from July 27 to August 3, OCHA said in a report on August 6. While not officially extended, the exemption still appeared to be in place, it said. Other international NGOs could be exempted only on a case-by-case basis and only for health items.
More than 200 Gazans have died of malnutrition or starvation in the war, according to Palestinian health authorities, adding to the over 61,000 dead they say have been killed by military action. The UN human rights office and several expert studies have said the number is probably an undercount.
Israel has disputed the Gaza health ministry figures, which do not distinguish between fighters and civilians, and says at least a third of the fatalities are Hamas fighters. On Monday, COGAT said a review by its medical experts found the number of deaths reported by the Gaza health ministry due to malnutrition was inflated and most of those "allegedly dying from malnutrition" had pre-existing conditions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
12 minutes ago
- Al Etihad
President of Arab Parliament condemns Israel's approval of 3,400 new settlement units in West Bank
15 Aug 2025 17:56 CAIRO (WAM) Mohammed Ahmed Al Yammahi, President of the Arab Parliament, condemned the announcement by Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approving the construction of 3,400 new settlement units in the E1 area, located between Jerusalem and the West a statement issued on Friday, Al Yammahi said this announcement constitutes a blatant challenge to international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions, foremost among them the UN Security Council resolutions affirming the illegality of reaffirmed the Arab Parliament's categorical rejection of the policy of escalating settlement activity aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause and eradicating the Palestinian held the occupation entity fully responsible for such actions, describing the move as a dangerous escalation of illegal settlement policies, within a systematic plan to impose a fait accompli on the ground. Such actions, he warned, completely undermine the prospects for achieving a just peace and destroy the internationally recognised two-state Yammahi called on the international community, particularly the UN Security Council and the sponsors of the peace process, to shoulder their legal and moral responsibilities, take effective measures to halt these violations, and ensure the occupation entity is held accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people, their land, and their holy sites. He also urged immediate action to stop the dangerous escalation of settler terrorism, which will only lead to further escalation, tension, and instability.
Middle East Eye
23 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Exclusive: ICC arrest warrant applications ready for Israel's Ben Gvir and Smotrich on apartheid charges
Arrest warrant applications against two prominent Israeli ministers on charges of apartheid are ready and with two deputy prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Middle East Eye can reveal. If the warrants for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are issued, it will be the first time that the crime of apartheid is charged at an international court. ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan had prepared cases against Ben Gvir and Smotrich before he went on leave in May, according to numerous sources in the court with knowledge of the matter. "Those applications for the arrest warrants are completely done," an ICC source told MEE. "The only thing that didn't happen was submitting them to the court," the source said on condition of anonymity. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters MEE can reveal that the deputy prosecutors have the power to submit them to pre-trial judges for examination, but some within the ICC believe the applications will be quietly shelved as the court faces unprecedented external pressure. The newly elected US administration under Donald Trump sanctioned Khan in February, and he went on leave in May amid a UN investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him, which he has denied. 'If the Ben Gvir and Smotrich applications just disappear, the opportunity to prosecute one of the most blatant examples of apartheid in the world today will likely be lost forever' - ICC source In June, the US further sanctioned four ICC judges. This included two judges who approved Khan's application for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders last November. MEE revealed earlier this month that Khan has been subjected to a string of threats and warnings by prominent figures, including former British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, as well as close colleagues and family friends briefing against him, and fears for the prosecutor's safety prompted by a Mossad team in The Hague. Khan nevertheless filed applications on 20 May 2024 that culminated in arrest warrants being issued for Netanyahu and Gallant that November. 'There was no more work to do on the applications' MEE understands that despite continued pressure, the prosecutor's team of lawyers continued investigating alleged Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied West Bank. But before he could file the applications, Khan went on leave following a failed attempt to suspend him. "Karim was ready," the ICC source told MEE. "There was no more work to do on the applications. They're not being drafted. They weren't being revised. They were done. "All that was left to do was follow court procedures for submitting an application. But Karim didn't have time to do that because everything moved so quickly. And then he stepped aside." Exclusive: How Karim Khan's Israel war crimes probe was derailed by threats, leaks and sex claims Read More » An ICC statement at the time said Khan's deputies would continue his work across all cases, including the Palestine investigation. But whether the Ben Gvir and Smotrich warrant applications were filed would not be public knowledge, since the court ordered in April that any further requests cannot be publicised. Two ICC sources told MEE that the two deputy prosecutors, Nazhat Shameem Khan and Mame Mandiaye Niang, have not filed the applications due to the threat of US sanctions. British-Israeli ICC defence lawyer Nicholas Kaufman told Israel's Kan public broadcaster in June that the US sanctions on four ICC judges were "meant to be designed to encourage the dropping of the arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Gallant". Kaufman added: "Accordingly, most commentators believe that [sanctioning the judges] is a further warning shot over the bows, if I can put it that way, before the sanctioning of the deputy prosecutors who've now taken over from Karim Khan." When asked by MEE to comment on the status of the Ben Gvir and Smotrich applications, and whether fear of sanctions has delayed their submission, the prosecutor's office said: "The office cannot provide comments on matters related to ongoing investigations and any specific charges that may arise in relation to situations addressed by the office. This approach is essential to protect the integrity of investigations, and to ensure the safety and security of victims, witnesses and all those with whom the office interacts." Khan declined to comment in response to a request from MEE. 'Justice delayed is justice denied' Raji Sourani, a lawyer representing Palestine at the ICC and ICJ, criticised the deputy prosecutors for their delay in applying for the warrants. "For us, they are very late. What are they waiting for? They have everything," he told MEE. "Justice delayed is justice denied." One ICC source said they feared the case would never see the light of day. "There were months and months of intense work that went into them. These are really serious documents documenting really serious crimes. "If the Ben Gvir and Smotrich applications just disappear, the opportunity to prosecute one of the most blatant examples of apartheid in the world today will likely be lost forever." Le Monde publishes new details of campaign against Karim Khan and ICC Read More » On 27 May, The Wall Street Journal reported that the prosecutor had been preparing to seek warrants for Ben Gvir and Smotrich before he went on leave, and that prosecutors had been "weighing" whether the pair committed war crimes related to their role in settlement expansion. But the report did not mention that apartheid was a central charge against both Israeli leaders, as three sources with knowledge of the matter told MEE, nor that the only step left for the prosecutor's office was to submit the applications. Under the Rome Statute, the ICC's founding treaty, apartheid is a crime against humanity. It is defined as "inhumane acts… committed in the context of an institutionalised regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime". Israel has been accused of apartheid by legal scholars and numerous rights groups, including the New York-based Human Rights Watch and Israel's B'Tselem. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's principal judicial body, issued a legal opinion that Israel's occupation of Gaza and the West Bank is illegal. It also concluded that Israel's "near-complete separation" of Palestinians in the West Bank, including by the expansion of settlements, breached its obligations under international law to prevent, prohibit and eradicate all racial segregation and apartheid. On 10 June, the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway sanctioned Smotrich and Ben Gvir over "their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian communities". MEE contacted the Israeli government for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. 'They will destroy you' Last month, an MEE investigation revealed that on 1 May, ICC defence lawyer Kaufman told Khan he had spoken to Netanyahu's legal advisor and was "authorised" to make Khan a proposal that would allow him to "climb down the tree". He told Khan to apply to the court to reclassify the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant as "confidential", according to a note of the meeting lodged on file at the ICC and seen by MEE. This, it was suggested, would allow Israel to access the details of the allegations, which it could not do at the time, and challenge them in private, without the outcome being made public. But Kaufman warned that if it emerged the prosecutor was applying for more arrest warrants related to the West Bank or if the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were not withdrawn, then "all options would be off the table". According to the note, Kaufman told Khan: "They will destroy you and they will destroy the court." Netanyahu's office did not respond to requests for comment at the time. In response to questions from MEE, Kaufman denied threatening Khan. He denied having been authorised to make any proposals on behalf of the Israeli government and said he had shared his personal views with Khan on the Palestine situation. Two weeks after the meeting, Khan stepped down on indefinite leave following the publication by The Wall Street Journal of new sexual assault allegations against him, which he denied. There is no suggestion of any connection between the Kaufman-Khan meeting and the publication of the allegations. MEE also revealed in June that on 23 April 2024, as Khan was preparing to apply for warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, then-British Foreign Secretary David Cameron threatened in a phone call with the prosecutor that the UK would defund and withdraw from the ICC if the court issued the warrants. The phone call was also reported earlier this month by French newspaper Le Monde. The British foreign office and Khan both declined to comment in response to the report, while Cameron did not respond to multiple requests by MEE for comment. Khan faced more pressure from other sources. In a virtual meeting with ICC officials in May 2024, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham threatened sanctions against them if Khan applied for the warrants. Now, the ICC finds itself in a precarious position. Many fear the institution itself could be the target of sanctions, a move which would paralyse the court's operations. In a further threat to the court last month, US State Department legal adviser Reed Rubinstein warned that "all options remain on the table" unless all arrest warrants and the investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes are dropped. Whether the ICC will issue warrants for Ben Gvir and Smotrich in these circumstances remains to be seen.
Middle East Eye
23 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Indonesia cannot claim solidarity with Palestine while sending students to Israel
In April, I warned that Indonesia's quiet pipeline of students into Israeli institutions was not just diplomatically incoherent, it was morally indefensible. That pipeline remains open, even as Indonesia amplifies its support for Palestine at the United Nations, sends thousands of tonnes of humanitarian aid and stages massive protests across the country. This contradiction is no longer subtle. It is a full-blown alarm. In late July, another group of Indonesian agriculture students from East Nusa Tenggara departed for Israel as part of a nearly year-long internship at the Arava International Centre for Agricultural Training (Aicat). This is not a fringe programme. It is part of a formal agreement signed in 2014 between Chinese-Indonesian businessman Agus Suherman and the Israeli-based training centre. A total of 100 Indonesian students were enrolled in the 2024-2025 cohort. The Indonesian government may not officially recognise Israel, but this programme is recognition by another name. These students enter on Israeli visas, train at Israeli institutions and work on Israeli land - even as Palestinians are starved, bombed, displaced and imprisoned by the same state. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters This is not an agricultural exchange but complicity masquerading as pragmatism. Hollow stance On 3 August, thousands of Indonesians gathered at Jakarta's National Monument, waving Palestinian flags and holding placards demanding justice for Gaza. The protest was peaceful yet powerful - a collaboration between civil society groups and the Indonesian Ulama Council, supported by thousands of ordinary citizens. A day earlier, demonstrators had rallied outside the Egyptian embassy, calling for the opening of the Rafah crossing. No amount of rice or aid Indonesia contributes can offset the political damage done by sending even a single student to Israel These rallies were not symbolic acts. They reflected real rage, grief and solidarity. And yet, they also revealed something deeply uncomfortable: that even as Indonesians mobilise in the streets, the country's institutions are quietly undermining that resistance - making decisions that normalise and legitimise the very regime responsible for Gaza's devastation. Indonesia has sent substantial amounts of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. Just last week, Foreign Minister Sugiono announced an additional 10,000 tonnes of rice, along with a long-term cultivation initiative in Sumatra and Kalimantan to support Palestinian food security. These are meaningful contributions. But no amount of rice can offset the political damage done by sending even a single student to Israel. It is impossible to condemn apartheid while enrolling in its institutions, or wave the Palestinian flag in Jakarta while validating the systems that trample Palestinian lives. These contradictions do not cancel each other out but instead expose the entire framework of Indonesia's pro-Palestine stance as hollow. Whitewashing apartheid Some argue that academic exchange programmes are apolitical, and that students are simply there to learn agriculture, not endorse an apartheid regime. But that is a fiction. War on Gaza: Universities that resist BDS are at risk of losing legitimacy Read More » Israeli agricultural "advances" are not developed in a vacuum. They are achieved on stolen land, with stolen water and through an economy built on occupation. While Indonesian students irrigate crops in the Arava desert, Palestinian farmers watch their orchards wither under blockade and bombardment. Education, in this case, is not neutral. It is a tool of whitewashing. Moreover, Aicat is not a Unesco facility. It is a cog in a machine built to showcase Israel's technological prowess while obscuring the brutality of its policies. Every Indonesian student who participates becomes - knowingly or not - a testimonial: proof that even critics of Israel are willing to engage, given the right incentives. What otherwise would have been a knowledge exchange is simply a trade of principle for access. No excuse Indonesia's policy of non-recognition was never just bureaucratic. It was a moral line that has been crossed, marked not by headlines but by quiet departures to Tel Aviv airport and internships stripped of political context. This is how normalisation happens: not through embassies, but through loopholes, internships and the slow erosion of outrage by routine. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of Israel's genocide in Gaza Indonesia has alternatives. If the goal is agricultural advancement, countries such as Japan, South Korea, India, Turkey and Brazil offer high-tech training without compromising their values. There is no excuse for choosing a country that demolishes homes in Jenin, bombs hospitals in Rafah, and jails children from Hebron to Nablus. Palestine does not need charity from Indonesia. It needs solidarity, and solidarity requires sacrifice Palestine does not need charity from Indonesia. It needs solidarity, and solidarity requires sacrifice - even if that means giving up access to cutting-edge irrigation systems, especially when that technology is soaked in injustice. Indonesia must decide: is Palestine a political cause or a branding tool? Is the occupation a red line or a grey area? Is the suffering in Gaza just another headline - or a moral call to action? If Indonesian leaders want their protests to matter, their donations to mean something and their statements at the UN to carry weight, then the country must stop enabling a system it claims to oppose. No more students should be sent to Israel - not now, not ever, not under any excuse. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
