(CLO) On November 12, the US said it would not punish Israel for the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, but urged Israel to increase the flow of aid into the besieged territory.
"It's not that we condone Israel, but we want to see the entire humanitarian situation improved," said US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel. Israel currently controls all crossings into Gaza.
Palestinians in Gaza line up to receive food distribution. Photo: AP
What is the current level of aid?
Aid into Gaza is usually measured in truckloads of food and supplies into the territory. The US has requested 350 truckloads a day.
Israeli government figures show an average of 57 trucks a day in October and 75 in November. The United Nations counts trucks differently and says it has received just 39 trucks a day since the beginning of October.
In northern Gaza, where the Israeli military has been conducting a major offensive over the past month, the numbers are even lower. The United Nations said that in October, no aid reached Gaza’s northernmost areas, including Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun.
Israel said it had closed all Gaza crossings for the Jewish holiday in October, and was unable to send aid to the north because of its offensive against Hamas militants.
Over the past two days, the military agency that handles aid deliveries to Gaza, COGAT, said it had allowed aid trucks into the worst-hit northern areas. But only three trucks successfully reached their destination, according to the World Food Programme.
Block the road, refuse entry
Aid groups have accused the Israeli military of blocking aid convoys from reaching areas where fighting is heaviest, including northern Gaza, where famine is most severe.
"Aid may be at the border ready to go. But without safe passage, we can't get to it and it won't reach the people who need it," said Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA.
In October, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Israeli authorities rejected about 43% of all humanitarian movement requests and obstructed another 16%.
Aid groups say Israeli authorities have also banned some vehicles and supplies from entering the area, often without explanation. Rachel Morris, of the aid group Mercy Corps, said her trucks carrying tent supplies had been turned away more than five times.
Israel said it was rejecting supplies that could be used as weapons by Hamas.
Under intense international pressure, Israel has taken steps to increase aid deliveries. COGAT said it has allowed trucks into the hard-hit north. On November 12, it said it had opened a fifth border crossing to increase aid flows.
But aid groups say access remains a problem. World Food Programme trucks loaded with supplies were denied access to Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya on November 12. A day earlier, the UN agency said it had received Israeli military approval to deliver supplies to Beit Hanoun, but was stopped by the army on its way to Jabaliya and ordered to unload the supplies there.
Lawlessness along aid routes
In addition, theft and crime along relief routes also hinder distribution.
Israel has accused UNRWA of failing to accept hundreds of truckloads of supplies that have piled up at the main aid crossing in southern Gaza. They say the aid has been waiting there for months.
But both the military and aid agencies admit that delivering aid is dangerous because of criminal gangs hijacking trucks. One Israeli official estimates that 30% to 40% of aid is stolen by members of crime families.
COGAT spokeswoman Shani Sasson said the Israeli army tried to secure part of the route and find alternative routes for drivers, but it was impossible to accompany every aid vehicle while criminal groups were always on the move.
Many aid groups say it is too dangerous for their workers to collect aid. Aseel Baidoun, senior director at Medical Aid for the Palestinians, said drivers sometimes pay tolls to bring aid across the border into Gaza.
He said the Israeli military "failed to create a favorable environment for bringing enough humanitarian goods to Gaza".
Aid groups have also reported that their warehouses and workers have been attacked by Israeli forces. OCHA says at least 326 aid workers have been killed since the conflict began. It is unclear how many have died on the job.
Ngoc Anh (according to AP)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tai-sao-israel-han-che-luong-vien-tro-cho-nguoi-palestine-o-gaza-post321159.html
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