Israel Disputes ‘False Claims’ by International Organizations That It Blocked Humanitarian Aid Into Gaza

Egyptian trucks carrying humanitarian aid make their way to the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, May 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Israel has dismissed as “entirely false” claims by over 100 aid groups that it is blocking humanitarian supplies to Gaza, insisting the real obstacle is some organizations refusing to meet security vetting requirements designed to keep aid from the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

“We reject false claims made by over 100 international organizations alleging Israel blocks humanitarian aid to Gaza. The reality is entirely the opposite of the claims that were published,” COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories), the Israeli body responsible for coordinating aid deliveries to Gaza, said in a statement on Thursday.

“Israel acts to allow and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, while Hamas seeks to exploit the aid to strengthen its military capabilities and consolidate its control over the population,” COGAT continued. “This is sometimes done under the cover of certain international aid organizations, whether knowingly or unknowingly.”

According to COGAT, the Israeli defense establishment, under direction from the political leadership, has implemented a new aid entry mechanism designed to prevent Hamas from diverting supplies. The process requires organizations to formally register with Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs, including submitting employee lists for prior security screening. COGAT described the criteria as “clear” and “professional,” aimed at preserving the humanitarian system’s integrity and blocking terrorist infiltration. The agency emphasized that the mechanism was presented to aid groups in advance and is fully transparent.

COGAT noted that nearly 20 international organizations have already complied with the registration process and are delivering aid “regularly and in full cooperation.” On average, the agency said, approximately 300 humanitarian aid trucks enter Gaza daily through registered organizations, with some days seeing higher numbers. COGAT argued that any delays are the result of NGOs refusing to meet “basic security requirements” and not because of Israeli obstruction.

The statement came in response to a joint statement from over 100 international humanitarian groups on Thursday accusing Israel of using aid as leverage and citing alleged rejections of dozens of requests to deliver supplies since March. The organizations warned of worsening shortages of food, medicine, and other essentials.

COGAT countered that these problems are avoidable if NGOs simply comply with security vetting. “The refusal of some international organizations to provide the information and cooperate with the registration process raises serious concerns about their true intentions and the possibility of ties between the organization or its employees and Hamas,” the statement said.

Framing the dispute as a matter of transparency and responsibility, COGAT called on the signatories to stop issuing public statements and instead work within Israel’s procedures to ensure aid “reaches the civilians, and not Hamas.”

Israel recently increased the flow of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, after imposing a temporary embargo in an effort to keep them out of the hands of Hamas, which often steals the aid for its own use and sells the rest to civilians at inflated prices. While facilitating the entry of thousands of aid trucks into Gaza, Israeli officials have condemned the UN and other international aid agencies for their alleged failure to distribute supplies, noting much of the humanitarian assistance has been stalled at border crossings or stolen. According to UN data, the vast majority of humanitarian aid entering Gaza is intercepted before reaching its intended civilian recipients.

Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Corey Walker

This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://www.algemeiner.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.