Jerusalem, Mar 13 (EFE).- UN humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip for the first time overnight north of the enclave, hit by a famine, via a new route that allows food and other basic goods to arrive at areas unreachable so far.
The Israeli army said in a statement that according to government directives, six World Food Programme (WFP) humanitarian trucks entered the northern Gaza Strip Tuesday night through Gate 96 of the security fence.
WFP confirmed the sending of food sufficient for 25,000 people in Gaza City on Tuesday in what it described as the first successful convoy arriving in the region since Feb. 20 amid international pressure on Israel to facilitate more humanitarian aid to the enclave.
The army explained that this was a part of “a pilot program” to prevent the Hamas terrorist organization from taking over the relief efforts.
Israel has repeatedly accused the extremist group, which de facto governs the enclave, of using international aid for their interests instead of distributing it among civilians.
Like with all the aid coming in since late October, Israeli security officials subjected WFP trucks to thorough checks at the Kerem Shalom crossing that directly connects Israel to the Gaza Strip, something that hinders and slows down the flow of aid.
The WFP convoy entered via a road used until now by the Army for its operations in the north and center enclave.
WFP spokesperson Shaza Moghraby said overnight that the entry of the latest shipment of aid showed that transporting food by road was possible in a swifter and more effective manner.
She added that they were looking to extend such operations given that they get regular and consistent access, given the dire condition of the people in northern Gaza, who are facing starvation.
As part of international pressure to increase aid in the enclave, Israel has also agreed to increase the number of trucks entering Gaza from Jordan through the Allenby crossing with the West Bank.
Moreover, this week Israel began to transfer shipments of flour from the US and Turkey that had been held in the port of Ashdod for two months.
For weeks, countries such as Jordan, France, Egypt and the US have been airdropping aid.
On Tuesday, the maritime corridor opened by the EU and the US from Cyprus was inaugurated and the arrival of the first ship, Spain’s Open Arms, with 200 tons of food from the nonprofit World Central Kitchen is expected Thursday. EFE
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