Israel will allow 120 to 130 lorries a day to enter Gaza in “the next week or two” but humanitarian assistance to the besieged enclave “should not be taken for granted”, said the official in charge of co-ordinating aid on Wednesday.
Gaza is facing a humanitarian crisis with supplies of fuel, medicine, food and water running low as Israel continues its intense bombardment and ground incursion of the enclave in retaliation for the Hamas attack of October 7.
Israel did not let any aid into Gaza for the first two weeks of the war, but has since allowed a small but growing number of lorries to enter via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
“In the next week or two we hope to enlarge the number [of lorries] to at least 120 to 130 trucks a day,” Col Moshe Tetro told The National.
He said 76 were permitted to enter on Wednesday.
Col Tetro stressed that diplomatic ties with Arab partners have been key to the entry of aid so far as part of a “very complex logistical, security and diplomatic process”.
“We have built a mechanism with the Egyptians, the Americans and the UN,” he added.
“We have agreed on specifics that are actual humanitarian aid like medical supplies, food and water.”
Israel has faced intense criticism since the war began for not permitting more aid to enter Gaza, despite numerous UN warnings about critical shortages.
Col Tetro said the delays are caused by Israeli security checks on the goods.
He also downplayed warnings about critical shortages of medical supplies.
“From the details I have, there are two weeks’ worth of hospital supplies in Gaza, as relates to injuries of war,” he said.
Col Tetro also said UN warnings about shortages are based on flawed information.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned last week that it would run out of fuel in 24 hours.
“The handful of convoys being allowed through Rafah is nothing compared to the needs of over two million people trapped in Gaza,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told the UN Security Council this week.
Col Tetro refuted the UN's warning. “My team is in continuous discussion with Palestinian officials, including hospital managers, and we know for a fact that there is more fuel in Gaza than the UN says,” he said.
“I’m sure that what the UN is saying is based on what they know from the details they have.
“They don’t have the resources we have. They don’t have the ability to reach every hospital like we do. It’s not that they’re lying, they’re saying the truth as much as they see it.
“Of course it’s not easy, of course you need to manage it as always is the case in days of war. I’m not saying there are no worries.
“I’m not saying I have the 100 per cent truth, but I can say with a lot of confidence that my picture of what is happening inside Gaza is much more accurate than [the UN's].”
Israel says it has placed particularly stringent limitations on fuel because Hamas stockpiles it for military activity.
“We know for a fact that the same fuel to generate energy for hospitals goes to underground tunnels, where Hamas commanders area hiding and operating,” Col Tetro said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Thursday that more than 9,000 Gazans have been killed so far in the fighting. The war began after Hamas militants assaulted Israel’s south on October 7, killing around 1,400 Israelis and kidnapping at least 242 civilians.
