Southern Gaza Strip — In a rare moment of access to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, CBS News on Wednesday visited a distribution center for critical aid just inside the Gaza Strip, near the Karem Shalom border crossing from Israel. THE humanitarian crisis in Gaza after more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas remains disastrous.
Israeli officials say an average of about 200 trucks cross each day from Israel into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom checkpoint, carrying desperately needed supplies to Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict.
But a pressing question remains: is aid reaching those who need it most?
At the distribution center, truck drivers and aid workers spoke to CBS News about the struggles they face, including the looting of humanitarian goods, which they say remains a significant problem in Gaza. Chaos and lawlessness in the region often prevent supplies from reaching their intended recipients.
“The aid is not arriving because of the gangs intercepting it on the road,” says Mohammed Shehibar, a Palestinian logistics coordinator from Al-Rimal, a neighborhood in Gaza City, who spoke to us as he supervised workers loading forklifts full of fresh produce. fruit.
He said that out of 100 trucks leaving from this site, “only 70 or 60 reached their destination”. The rest, he said, was looted.
“The only guarantee for aid to be delivered safely is for there to be some stability in Gaza,” he said. “They (the gangs) take up positions near the border…near the (Israeli) army…and they have no problems.”
International aid agencies also complained that there was not enough help enters the Gaza Strip.
Last Sunday on CBS News’ “Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan” Cindy McCainthe director of the World Food Program, said her organization was only able to get two aid trucks through the crossing during the month of November.
“This is not true,” said Col. Abdullah Halabi, head of the Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza. “Over the past two weeks, thanks to the development of our facilities around Gaza, as at other crossing points, the humanitarian community has managed to move an average of 200 trucks to central and southern Gaza.
Israeli officials insist significant aid is flowing to Gaza. They highlight the challenges of moving supplies into an active war zone and call for greater assistance from the international community to ensure safe passage and efficient distribution within the zone. decimated enclave.
Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza following Hamas’ brutal attack on October 7, 2023which killed some 1,200 people. More than 100 hostages seized by Hamas are still detained. Since the start of the war in Gaza, at least 44,580 Palestinians were killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and most of its residents were displaced internally.
The danger was palpable during our visit, with the sound of bombing echoing nearby. Humanitarian truck drivers are risking their lives to navigate the perilous conditions created by destroyed infrastructure and security threats inside Gaza, highlighting the immense challenges facing both humanitarian agencies and Gaza’s civilians.
However, cautious hopes have recently emerged as reports suggest that ongoing negotiations for a hostage release deal could lead to a temporary ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.
If such a deal comes to fruition, distribution centers like the one on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing could soon be overwhelmed with additional supplies, providing a lifeline to those who desperately need it.
