CONFLICT
Israeli red tape slows Gaza aid
March 26, 2024 - The UN says it has enough food near Gaza’s southern border to feed the enclave’s 2.2 million people, but aid workers say they face challenges caused by Israel’s security checkpoints.
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Before aid shipments can enter Gaza, they undergo a series of checks by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). And aid agencies and UN officials say Israeli red tape slows the flow of trucks carrying food supplies.
Israeli officials reject these accusations and say they have increased aid access to Gaza. Israel isn’t responsible for delays in aid getting into Gaza, they say. Israel has also accused Hamas of stealing aid.
The inspection process “isn’t the impediment” to aid “getting into the Gaza Strip,” said Shimon Freedman, a spokesman for COGAT, the Israeli military branch that handles aid transfers.
Under growing international pressure, Israel earlier this month opened a new route for the delivery of aid directly to northern Gaza, known as Gate 96.
By March 20, COGAT said at least 86 international aid trucks had entered via Gate 96.
“There is a sufficient amount of food entering Gaza every day,” said Col. Moshe Tetro, a COGAT official overseeing Gaza.