Israel says Gaza got 120 trucks of aid on day one of pause
Israel said Monday that more than 120 truckloads of food aid were distributed by the U.N. and aid agencies in the Gaza Strip on the first day of a promised limited break in fighting.
On Sunday, Israel declared a "tactical pause" in military operations in part of Gaza and promised to open secure routes for aid, urging humanitarian groups to step up food distribution.
"Over 120 trucks were collected and distributed yesterday by the U.N. and international organizations," said COGAT, an Israeli defense ministry body overseeing civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories.
"An additional 180 trucks entered Gaza and are now awaiting collection and distribution, along with hundreds of others still queued for UN pickup," COGAT said in a post on X.
Separately, Israel, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have conducted parachute air drops of smaller quantities of aid.
More than two million Palestinians live in Gaza and, before the eruption of the latest 21-month-old conflict between Israel and Hamas, it took roughly 500 trucks per day of commercial trade and humanitarian aid to supply the territory.
In recent weeks U.N. agencies have been warning of a life-threatening famine as aid supplies dry up, and international pressure has been building for a ceasefire to allow a massive relief operation.
Israel's government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, furiously denies that it is using hunger as a weapon of war, and instead accuses the aid agencies of failing to pick up and distribute aid delivered to Gaza's border crossing points.
"More consistent collection and distribution by UN agencies and international organizations equals more aid reaching those who need it most in Gaza," COGAT said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LBCI
39 minutes ago
- LBCI
Israel's military and political divide deepens over Gaza: The details
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Akram Chehayeb Two options have deepened the divide between Israel's military and political leaders: whether to occupy Gaza or maintain its encirclement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who did not share his opinion during the cabinet meeting discussing the issue, decided to postpone the decision until next week. Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir opposed the occupation of Gaza and advocated encircling the territory instead. He has not ruled out resigning if Netanyahu rejects this approach. The political leadership, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, rejected Zamir's approach and insisted on occupying Gaza, ignoring warnings and consequences of such a decision. Along with Itamar Ben-Gvir, Smotrich has threatened to resign. Between the two options, the hostages' dilemma has now reached a deadlock. On the ground, 'Operation Gideon's Chariots' ended in Gaza after achieving its objectives, according to an army report. The army announced the withdrawal of most units from the Strip pending the political leadership's decision, while warnings grow about the risks of occupying Gaza for the remaining hostages. These differences, along with the fate of the hostages, were discussed with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who was urged to put pressure on both Israel and Hamas. In contrast, the U.S. presidential envoy ended his talks in Israel without progress on a deal. He will return to Washington to discuss ways to achieve a common goal that includes exchanging prisoners and ending the war.
L'Orient-Le Jour
an hour ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Germany says 'very insufficient' aid entering Gaza
The amount of aid entering Gaza remains "very insufficient" despite a limited improvement, the German government said on Saturday after ministers discussed ways to heighten pressure on Israel. The criticism came after Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited the region on Thursday and Friday, and the German military staged its first food airdrops into Gaza, where aid agencies say that more than two million Palestinians are facing starvation. Germany "notes limited initial progress in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip, which, however, remains very insufficient to alleviate the emergency situation," government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said in a statement. "Israel remains obligated to ensure the full delivery of aid," Kornelius added. Facing mounting international criticism over its military operations in Gaza, Israel has allowed more trucks to cross the border and some foreign nations to carry out airdrops of food and medicines. International agencies say the amount of aid entering Gaza is still dangerously low, however. The United Nations has said that 6,000 trucks are awaiting permission from Israel to enter the occupied Palestinian territory. The German government, traditionally a strong supporter of Israel, also expressed "concern regarding reports that large quantities of humanitarian aid are being withheld by Hamas and criminal organisations." Israel has alleged that much of the aid arriving in the territory is being siphoned off by Hamas, which runs Gaza. The Israeli army is accused of having equipped Palestinian criminal networks in its fight against Hamas and of allowing them to plunder aid deliveries. "The real theft of aid since the beginning of the war has been carried out by criminal gangs, under the watch of Israeli forces," Jonathan Whittall of OCHA, the United Nations agency for coordinating humanitarian affairs, told reporters in May. A German government source told AFP it had noted that Israel has "considerably" increased the number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza to about 220 a day. Berlin has taken a tougher line against Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in recent weeks. The source said that a German security cabinet meeting on Saturday discussed "the different options" for putting pressure on Israel, but no decision was taken. A partial suspension of arms deliveries to Israel is one option that has been raised. Hamas militants launched an attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel's war on Gaza since then has killed at least 60,249 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. The U.N. considers the Ministry's figures reliable.
Nahar Net
2 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Israel army chief warns of combat 'without rest' unless hostages are freed
Israel army chief warns of combat 'without rest' unless hostages are freed Israel's top general has warned that there will be no respite in fighting in Gaza if negotiations fail to quickly secure the release of hostages held in the Palestinian territory. "I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages," said army chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, according to a military statement. "If not, the combat will continue without rest," he said, during remarks to officers inside Gaza on Friday. Footage released by the Israeli military showed Zamir meeting soldiers and officers in a command centre. Of the 251 people who were kidnapped from Israel during Hamas's attack in October 2023, 49 remain in Gaza, 27 of them dead, according to the military. Palestinian armed groups this week released two videos of hostages looking emaciated and weak. Negotiations -- mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar -- to secure a ceasefire and their release broke down last month, and some in Israel have called for tougher military action. This comes against the backdrop of growing pressure -- both internationally and domestically, including from many of the hostages' families -- to resume efforts to secure a ceasefire in the nearly 22-month conflict. Aid agencies have meanwhile warned that Gaza's population is facing a catastrophic famine, triggered by Israeli restrictions on aid. Zamir nonetheless rejected these allegations out of hand. "The current campaign of false accusations of intentional starvation is a deliberate, timed, and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF (military), a moral army, of war crimes," he said. "The ones responsible for the killing and suffering of the residents in the Gaza Strip is Hamas." Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. A total of 898 Israeli soldiers have also been killed since ground troops were sent into Gaza, according to the military. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the U.N.
