South of the Gaza Strip – In a rare moment of access to the war-torn Palestinian territory, CBS News visited an important aid distribution center Wednesday in the Gaza Strip, near the Karem Shalom border crossing with Israel. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza after more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas remains to be said.
Israeli officials say about 200 trucks cross from Israel into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom checkpoint each day, carrying much-needed supplies for Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict.
But the question remains: does help reach those who need it the 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 major problem in Gaza. Chaos and lawlessness in the region often prevent supplies from reaching their recipients.
“The aid is not coming because of the gangs that intercept it on the road,” said Mohammed Shekhibar, a Palestinian logistics coordinator from al-Rimal, a neighborhood in Gaza City, who spoke to us while watching the workers loading trucks full of fresh raw materials. fruits.
He said that out of 100 trucks that left this site, “only 70-60 reached their destination.” The rest, he said, were looted.
“The only guarantee for the safe delivery of aid is that there will be stability in Gaza,” he said. “They (the gangs) are occupying positions near the border … next to the (Israeli) army … and they have no problems.”
International aid agencies also complained that it was not enough help is included in the Gaza Strip.
Last Sunday on CBS News' “Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Cindy McCainhead of the World Food Program, said her organization was able to get only two aid trucks through the crossing in November.
“This is not true,” said Col. Abdullah Halabi, head of Israel's Gaza Coordination and Communications Authority. “The humanitarian community in the last two weeks alone, with our development of facilities around Gaza, as well as at other crossings, they managed to move an average of 200 trucks into central and southern Gaza.”
Israeli officials insist that large amounts of aid are flowing into Gaza. They highlight the difficulties of delivering supplies in an active combat zone and call for more assistance from the international community to ensure safe transit and efficient distribution within the country. destroyed enclave.
Israel launched a military operation in Gaza after a brutal attack by Hamas October 7, 2023which killed about 1,200 people. More than 100 hostages those captured by Hamas are still being held. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, at least 44,580 Palestinians were killed, according to the Hamas health ministry, and most of its residents were internally displaced.
The danger was palpable during our visit, with the sounds of gunfire echoing nearby. Aid truck drivers are risking their lives to overcome the dangerous conditions created by Gaza's crumbling infrastructure and security threats, underscoring the enormous challenges facing both aid organizations and Gaza's civilians.
However, there has been cautious hope recently, as reports indicate that ongoing negotiations for the release of the hostages could lead to a temporary ceasefire and an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
If such a deal does happen, distribution centers like the one on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing could soon be overwhelmed with additional supplies, a lifeline for those in desperate need.
