IDF Steps to Increase Collection and Distribution of Humanitarian Aid by International Organizations in Gaza

Over 1,400 trucks of humanitarian aid that have been transferred from Israel into Gaza remain uncollected by International Organizations and the UN on the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom Crossing. The IDF, via (COGAT), is continuing its efforts to increase the capacity of international aid organizations to collect and distribute the aid from Kerem Shalom. Last Saturday, the IDF began implementing a daily local, tactical pause for humanitarian purposes along the Salah al-Din Road from the Kerem Shalom Crossing. In addition, work has been carried out in recent weeks to prepare the Folat Road near the Kerem Shalom Crossing for the transfer of humanitarian aid trucks and to expand it in order to facilitate two-way traffic.

In addition, the hours in which International Organizations and the UN aid trucks can collect aid to be distributed throughout Gaza were recently extended. Significant efforts to improve International Organizations and the UN’s logistical capabilities to distribute aid have also been made, with the introduction of 23 empty trucks and fuel to refuel the UN’s trucks over the last few weeks. These steps are in addition to the increased effort to transfer Egyptian trucks from the Rafah Crossing through the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Gaza following security checks.

The IDF will continue its efforts to enable humanitarian aid to reach the residents of Gaza in accordance with international law.

From the remarks of the IDF Spokesperson, RDML Daniel Hagari: 

“We are operating in a complex environment, including our operation in Rafah, which is a very precise, intelligence-based operation against the Rafah Brigade in order to dismantle the military framework of the Rafah Brigade, and we intend to achieve this goal. While doing that, at the same time, we facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. We're doing it in all measures and now we need to make sure that for the international organizations, the UN and others, this aid will be distributed inside the Gaza Strip. In order to do that in a better way, we are allowing the tactical pause to make sure that the international organizations will understand we are creating a safe pathway.”

Attached are Images of the Preparation of the Folat Road:

Video of the Preparation of the Folat Road: