Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) on Thursday denied claims by aid groups that Jerusalem was blocking their request to bring in food.
The Defense Ministry unit said Jerusalem was working to facilitate aid to Gaza while the Hamas terrorist organization seeks to exploit such aid to build military strength and tighten its control over the population.
“This is sometimes done under the cover of certain international aid groups, knowingly or unknowingly,” said COGAT.
In response, Israel’s defense establishment developed a new aid mechanism to ensure that assistance reaches the population rather than Hamas. Under this system, organizations must undergo a structured registration process, including providing a list of their Gaza-based staff for prior security screening.
COGAT stressed that the registration process is based on clear professional and security criteria designed to preserve the integrity of humanitarian efforts and prevent terrorist infiltration. “It is a transparent, clear process that was presented to all organizations in advance,” it said.
Refusal by some aid organizations to share the required information and cooperate raises “serious concerns about their intentions and the possibility of links between the organization or its employees and Hamas,” the statement continued.
By contrast, nearly 20 international organizations that complied with the procedure are bringing aid into Gaza regularly and in full cooperation with Israel. As proof, COGAT noted that about 300 truckloads of humanitarian aid enter the Gaza Strip each day, via registered organizations.
COGAT emphasized that any alleged delays in aid delivery occur “only when organizations choose not to meet the security requirements intended to prevent Hamas involvement.” Instead of opposing the process and issuing statements, COGAT called on all international organizations wishing to send aid to Gaza “to act transparently, complete the registration and ensure the aid reaches residents, not Hamas.”
More than 100 international aid organizations released a sharply worded statement earlier Thursday accusing Israel of blocking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The signatories claim that millions of dollars’ worth of humanitarian supplies, including food, medicine, water and emergency equipment, were sitting in warehouses in Jordan, Egypt and the Israeli city of Ashdod.
They argue that the registration mechanism introduced in March is illegal, dangerous for staff safety, damaging to the independence of aid groups and intended to limit humanitarian work.
This is an edited version of an article originally published by Israel Hayom.
