Israel Facilitates Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

Latest Developments

Two hundred and forty humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza on January 18, stated Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). COGAT, Israel’s office for liaising with the Palestinians, said that 101 trucks entered Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah crossing and 139 through Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing. On January 17, more than 200 truckloads of food, baby formula, water, medical supplies, hygiene products, and other aid entered Gaza. COGAT also reported on January 17 that 139 trucks of food from the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme arrived in Gaza “over the last few days.”

Rejecting complaints from international agencies about the allegedly low volume of aid reaching Gaza, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said on January 17 that “Israel has excess capacity to inspect and process trucks” and that “there is no backlog and no limitation on our end.” Israel has facilitated the delivery “of over 130,000 tons of humanitarian aid,” he said last week.

Expert Analysis

“Israel is facilitating the transfer of humanitarian supplies to the people of Gaza, even as Hamas continues to hold Israeli civilians hostage. Hamas started this war and is to blame for all the suffering both sides have endured. The terror organization could also quickly end the war by returning the hostages, laying down its arms, and surrendering.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

“Israel’s war is against Hamas and its terrorist partners in the Gaza Strip, not innocent Palestinian civilians. By permitting the entry of goods, Israel is demonstrating its true intent at the risk of the aid being diverted and used by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups for their own benefit.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Aid Distribution

Israel inspects all aid trucks that enter Gaza in an effort to prevent items that could be used for military purposes from reaching Hamas. Israel continues to face global pressure over the humanitarian situation in Gaza but has repeatedly stressed that it is fighting against Hamas terrorists, not Palestinian civilians. In mid-December, Israel agreed to allow aid to enter Gaza through its Kerem Shalom crossing. Israel closed Kerem Shalom after Hamas’s October 7 invasion, but Israeli authorities reopened the crossing citing the “urgent security need” to increase humanitarian deliveries to Gaza.

Protection of Civilian Lives

While Israel prioritizes civilian life, Hamas actively puts its own people in harm’s way. In October, mosques in Gaza broadcast messages telling civilians to stay put despite Israel’s instructions to flee south in advance of Israel’s ground offensive. Hamas also embeds military assets in hospitals, schools, and other civilian areas and diverts resources intended for civilians. COGAT published images on January 18 of Hamas weapons hidden in a child’s bedroom. On January 15, the IDF released footage of an ex-Hamas operative who confirmed that Hamas terrorists were using Palestinians “as human shields” inside Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital.

Related Analysis

“Israel Allows Fuel to Gaza Through Egyptian Border,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Expands Aid Access to Gaza,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Points to Hamas’s Hoarding of Gaza Fuel,” FDD Flash Brief