Israel announced the implementation of a new mechanism for the entry of goods into the Gaza Strip through the private sector on Tuesday, after the cabinet voted to expand humanitarian aid in the strip.
The decision will see Israel allow a limited number of approved Palestinian merchants to bring goods into the strip in an attempt to increase aid, while ensuring it does not reach Hamas.
According to COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), the new mechanism “aims to increase the volume of aid entering the Gaza Strip, while reducing reliance on aid collection by the UN and international organizations.”
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The government body also said that only “a limited number of local merchants were approved subject to specific criteria and security screening.”
As with other aid entering the strip, the goods will undergo inspection by security officials from the Land Crossings Authority at the Ministry of Defense prior to entering the Strip.
The last time that the Israeli government allowed goods to enter through private merchants was between May and October 2024. The entry of goods through the private sector was terminated after COGAT found that “verified indications show that the Hamas terror organization is exploiting the entry of goods for economic and military buildup.”
“The IDF, through COGAT, and in cooperation with security agencies, will continue to operate monitoring and oversight mechanisms for the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, while taking all possible measures to prevent the involvement of the Hamas terrorist organization in the processes of bringing in and distributing the aid,” COGAT said.
The announcement of the new mechanism for entering goods comes as the cabinet was preparing to vote on a decision to occupy Gaza militarily as part of its efforts to defeat Hamas and return the hostages.
It also comes as Israel has faced coordinated international pressure to take steps to reduce an alleged famine in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations has been central to that international pressure, as it has accused Israel of using forced starvation of the Gaza population as a means to apply pressure.
The U.N. has also denied Israel’s reports that Hamas is seizing a large part of the aid entering Gaza, and despite the U.N. itself admitting that up to 85% of its aid convoys have been seized before reaching aid warehouses by either Gaza civilians or armed actors.
Reaction within the right-wing political parties and movements in Israel was swift and uniformly negative, with accusations of the government enabling the funding of Hamas.
Right-wing opposition MK Avigdor Lieberman criticized the move on X, saying, “The government’s decision to allow the private sector in Gaza to import goods is direct funding for terrorists. The private sector in Gaza pays an official tax to Hamas.”
“The October 7th government is funding Hamas while our hostages languish in tunnels,” he concluded.
The right-wing activist group Order 9 (based on the name of the IDF order for calling up reservists, Order 8), also decried the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip: “Pressure on Hamas led to the success of the deals, and additional pressure on Hamas, we believe, will lead to the release of the hostages to the last of them.”
The group, which has protested at the border crossings to try to prevent aid from entering, said, “‘Humanitarian aid’ is the wrong name for these trucks. The supplies that reach Gaza strengthen Hamas, give it breathing space and vitality with the strength and ability to continue harming us and holding the hostages.”
This article was originally published by All Israel News.
ALL ISRAEL NEWS is based in Jerusalem and is a trusted source of news, analysis and information from Israel to our Christian friends around the world.
