Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said today, Saturday, that unfortunately the process of transporting aid to the Strip faces major logistical problems imposed by the Israeli side.
Abu Zeid affirmed that the vehicles are required to be inspected at the Israeli “Nitzana” crossing opposite the Egyptian Al-Awja crossing, after which the vehicles head to the Rafah port in a journey covering 100 km before entering the Strip through the Rafah crossing, which creates bureaucratic burdens and obstacles that significantly delay the arrival of that aid.
Abu Zeid revealed that great strictness has been noted on the Israeli side in inspection procedures, and even the refusal of the entry of much aid for political considerations and various security claims, in addition to slowness in inspection procedures and the repeated military escalation on the Palestinian side of the crossing.
He added: “It is important that everyone realises who is the party responsible for the delay in aid entering the Gaza Strip,” demanding that the Israeli side stop these obstructive measures so that aid can be brought in with the speed required to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of the Strip’s residents.
This came in response to enquiries from correspondents of a number of Western newspapers and news agencies about the reasons for the delay in humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, despite the critical humanitarian situation in the Strip and the build-up of aid convoys on the Egyptian side.
The aid passes first from the Rafah crossing linking Egypt with the Gaza Strip and heads to the Al-Awja commercial crossing linking Egypt and the occupied Palestinian territories (Israel) to be inspected by the Israeli side in preparation for entering the Gaza Strip.
After that, the trucks approved for entry return to the Rafah crossing to enter Gaza, while the rejected trucks go back. After completing the required procedures in terms of organisation and packaging, the rejected trucks enter Gaza again.
The occupation authorities have so far refused the entry of 12 trucks from the fourth batch and 6 trucks from the third batch of aid, claiming that the trucks did not meet the specifications and had not completed the procedures in terms of organisation and packaging.
The mechanism for the entry of aid had been agreed between Egypt, the United States, the Israeli occupation state and the United Nations, and includes the occupation authorities inspecting aid trucks at the Al-Awja commercial crossing.
Although it was agreed with the occupation authorities to bring 20 trucks of aid into the Strip daily, with this aid heading to the Al-Awja crossing to be inspected by the Israeli side before its entry is approved, this is not happening on the ground.
The Israeli occupation authorities categorically refuse to allow fuel into the Strip, and most of the aid that has reached Gaza has contained relief materials such as blankets, tents and drinking water, and medical supplies needed for surgical operations such as oxygen devices, as well as shrouds for the victims because of their clear shortage. Three ambulances from Kuwait also entered.
Since the start of the war on Gaza on 7 October, about 84 aid trucks have entered Gaza. In 2022, 38,000 trucks crossed from Egypt through the Rafah crossing into Gaza. On normal days the Rafah crossing operates about 250 days a year, 3 days each week, meaning that last year about 152 trucks a day crossed into the Strip.
