UN Agency Says Gaza Needs 200 Trucks Of Assistance Every Day, Israeli Authorities Blame Hamas Inspection Post

Antrean truk pengangkut bantuan dan ambulance yang dituding Israel disebabkan oleh pos pemeriksaan Hamas. (Twitter/@cogatonline)

JAKARTA - The UN agency said the number of daily aid trucks entering Gaza to date is still far from the needs of the Palestinian enclave, while the Israeli side said it had allowed as needed but was hampered by Hamas.

The recent increase in aid into Gaza is only equivalent to "dropping water" from humanitarian needs in the field, the United Nations Agency for Assistance and Works for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said on Sunday.

"We need 200 trucks of help every day for at least two months to meet these needs," said UNRWA media adviser Adnan Abu Hasna, as reported by CNN Nov. 26.

"We need more fuel so that we can run the services and sectors that we support, such as water desalination, waste disposal channels, hospitals, bakeries, as well as UNRWA services and communications. The only assistance that comes in at this time is just buying water from the oceans of humanitarian needs," he explained.

It is known that more needed aid has been allowed into Gaza as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that took effect on Friday.

"The (humanitarian) situation in northern Gaza is dangerous, there is no drinking water and food, so the assistance we send is important. Today we also sent a convoy to Gaza City and northern Gaza. The humanitarian situation is dangerous in both, southern and northern Gaza," added UNRWA representatives.

Separately, Israel's defense agency in charge of Palestinian civil affairs (COGAT) accused Hamas of blocking the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, posting images of what it called a checkpoint founded by militant groups.

This is what happened about an hour ago on the road leading to the northern Gaza Strip: A Hamas checkpoint blocked the trucks delivering humanitarian aid to the residents of northern Gaza. To Hamas, residents of Gaza are their last priority pic.twitter.com/S5Q4omFSL6

— COGAT (@cogatonline) November 26, 2023

This is what happened about an hour ago on the road leading to the northn Gaza Strip: A Hamas checkpoint blocked the trucks delivery humanitarian Aid to the residents of northn Gaza. To Hamas, residents of Gaza are their last priority pic.twitter.com/S5Q4omFSL6

"This is what happened about an hour ago on the road to the northern Gaza Strip," COGAT wrote in a post on X, citing The Times of Israel.

"A Hamas checkpoint blocked trucks sending humanitarian aid to residents of northern Gaza," COGAT said.

"For Hamas, Gazans are their last priority," he continued.

Earlier, COGAT announced that 200 aid trucks had entered the Gaza Strip, with some of them aimed at the northern part of the enclave.

The aid, including food, water, and medical supplies, entered the Gaza Strip as part of a temporary ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas terror group, mediated by Egypt and Qatar.

The trucks were examined by Israeli authorities at the Nitzana crossing with Egypt, before heading to the Egyptian Rafah crossing to Gaza.

Dozens of trucks and six ambulances are heading to the northern Gaza Strip, including to areas that have not been evacuated, with Israeli approval, COGAT said.