Israelis prevent entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza amid fear of famine

By Anadolu staff

JERUSALEM (AA) – A group of right-wing Israelis on Thursday blocked the entry of trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip amid fears of a famine in the war-battered Palestinian enclave.

According to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Israeli protesters shut the Kerem Shalom crossing and prevented aid trucks from crossing into Gaza.

A video shared on social media showed around 15 people waving the Israeli flag and carrying photos of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, while soldiers stood at the gate of the crossing near parked aid trucks.

For weeks, Israeli right-wingers have staged protests near Gaza’s crossings to prevent the entry of aid trucks into the seaside territory.

On Wednesday, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said humanitarian aid entering Gaza has dropped by 50% in February.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive, now in its 146th day, on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 30,035 Palestinians have since been killed and over 70,457 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar