5 trucks with medicine entered Gaza following Israeli inspection: Israeli media

By Zein Khalil

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Five trucks carrying medicine entered the Gaza Strip after passing through Israeli security inspection, an Israeli media outlet reported Wednesday.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper noted that the trucks entered the enclave as part of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, that was mediated by Qatar.

It said the army inspected the trucks “at the Kerem Shalom crossing, then they proceeded to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and from there to the Gaza Strip.”

As of 1830 GMT, there has been no comment by Israeli authorities or Hamas regarding the report.

The development follows heightened controversy in Israel after Hamas announced an agreement with Tel Aviv to deliver medications to Israeli hostages in exchange for bringing equivalent amounts to Palestinian civilians in Gaza but without inspection by the army.

Earlier Wednesday, Yedioth Ahronoth said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the army to inspect the trucks carrying medicines before entering Gaza after he faced criticism for previously agreeing to allow medicine into the enclave without inspection by Israel.

Netanyahu's directive came after a debate erupted in Israel following the announcement by Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk on X that one of the conditions for the agreement to deliver medicine to Israeli detainees was to prevent the inspection of medicine shipments by the army.

Qatar announced Tuesday the success of its mediation, in cooperation with France, in reaching an agreement between Israel and Hamas.

The agreement includes the entry of medicine and a shipment of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, especially in the most affected and damaged areas, in exchange for delivering medicine needed by Israeli hostages in the Strip.

Israel was the first to announce the agreement, without specifying that the shipments also include medicine for Palestinians.

Israel claims that Hamas has been holding 136 Israelis in Gaza since Oct. 7, while Hamas demands a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons in exchange for releasing Israeli prisoners in its custody.

Since Oct. 7, the Israeli army has been conducting a devastating war in Gaza, resulting in 24,448 deaths and 61,504 injuries as of Wednesday.

The conflict has led to the displacement of more than 85% of the population in the Gaza Strip -- approximately 1.9 million residents -- according to Palestinian authorities and the United Nations.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala