In a recent announcement, Israel’s Defense Ministry stated that all humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip is being thoroughly inspected for the presence of weapons. This statement comes as a refutation of false claims made by the spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General, Stefan Dujarric, in an interview with The New York Times, where he implied that Israel was not inspecting aid shipments to Gaza. The Defense Ministry emphasized that the aid sent to Palestine only consists of water, food, and medical equipment.
This clarification from the Israeli government contradicts Dujarric’s statement and highlights the rigorous measures taken to ensure that no weapons are being smuggled into Gaza. The Ministry further emphasized that Israel can guarantee that nothing enters or exits Gaza besides the aforementioned humanitarian supplies.
The first batch of 20 trucks carrying aid for the Gaza Strip arrived through the Egyptian crossing at “Rafah” on October 21st. However, the majority of the aid, which includes 200 trucks, cannot reach the Gaza Strip as it is being blocked by Israel.
On October 7th, Hamas forces launched several thousand rockets into Israeli territory, initiating the “Flood of Al-Aqsa” operation. Thousands of militants infiltrated Israeli territory, capturing dozens of military vehicles and over a hundred hostages. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that the country was at war.
The counter-operation by the Israel Defense Forces, named “Iron Swords,” aims to destroy Hamas. The Israeli Air Force has conducted airstrikes on hundreds of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, while the Israeli National Security Council decided to halt the supply of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel to the region. On October 13th, Israel informed the UN that 1.1 million Palestinians must evacuate to the southern part of Gaza within 24 hours in anticipation of a ground operation.
Previously, Israel’s ultranationalist Minister of National Security, Ben-Gvir, stated that until the release of civilian hostages in Gaza, only “hundreds of tons of explosives” should be sent, and no humanitarian aid should be provided.
