2024-12-19 20:29:00
Southern Gaza Strip — In a rare moment of access to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, CBS News on Wednesday visited a crucial aid distribution center 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 bad.
Israeli officials say an average of about 200 trucks travel from Israel to Gaza every day through the Kerem Shalom checkpoint, carrying much-needed supplies for Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict.
But a pressing question remains: is the aid reaching those who need it most?
At the distribution center, truck drivers and aid workers told CBS News about the struggles they face, including the looting of humanitarian supplies, which they say remains a significant problem in Gaza. The chaos and lawlessness in the region often prevent supplies from reaching their intended recipients.
“The aid is not getting through because the gangs are intercepting it on the way,” said Mohammed Shehibar, a Palestinian logistics coordinator from Al-Rimal, a neighborhood in Gaza City, who spoke to us while supervising workers loading forklifts with fresh goods . fruit.
He said that of the 100 trucks that left this location, “only 70 or 60 reached their destination.” The rest, he said, was looted.
“The only guarantee that aid can be delivered safely is that there will be some stability in Gaza,” he said. “They (the gangs) are taking positions near the border… near the (Israeli) army… and they are not experiencing any problems.”
International aid organizations have also complained that not enough staff enters the Gaza Strip.
Last Sunday on CBS News’ ‘Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan’ Cindy McCainthe head of the World Food Program, said her organization had only been able to get two aid trucks through the crossing in November.
“That is not true,” said Colonel Abdullah Halabi, the head of Israel’s Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza. “Over the past two weeks, with our development of facilities around Gaza, as well as at other border crossings, the humanitarian community has managed to move an average of 200 trucks into central and southern Gaza.”
Israeli officials insist that sufficient aid is flowing to Gaza. They highlight the difficulties of delivering supplies in an active war zone and call for greater assistance from the international community to ensure safe passage and effective distribution within the area. decimated enclave.
Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza after Hamas’ brutal attack on Gaza October 7, 2023which killed approximately 1,200 people. More than 100 hostages seized by Hamas are still being held. Since the start of the war in Gaza at least 44,580 Palestinians According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, the deaths have occurred and most residents have been internally displaced.
The danger was palpable during our visit, as the sound of shelling echoed nearby. Aid truck drivers risk their lives to navigate the dangerous conditions created by Gaza’s destroyed infrastructure and security threats, highlighting the enormous challenges faced by both aid agencies and civilians in Gaza.
However, there has been cautious hope lately as reports indicate that ongoing negotiations for a hostage release deal could lead to a temporary ceasefire and a wave of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
If such a deal materializes, distribution centers like the one on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing could soon be flooded with additional supplies, offering a lifeline to those in desperate need.
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