A group of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank reportedly launched an attack on two humanitarian aid convoys traveling from Jordan to Gaza on Wednesday, according to the Jordanian government.
Israel had recently reopened the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip to allow aid trucks to pass through following pressure from the US to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in the region. The convoys, consisting of 31 and 48 trucks respectively, were transporting food, flour, and other aid to Gaza.
The Jordanian government stated that the aid convoys were attacked by settlers, but both managed to reach their destination in Gaza despite the incident. The convoys had to pass through the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Israel to reach Gaza.
Israeli legal aid agency Honenu confirmed that four settlers were arrested for blocking the aid trucks near Ma’ale Adumim settlement in the West Bank. The aid trucks were able to continue on their journey after the arrests.
Jordan condemned the attack and held Israeli authorities responsible for ensuring the safety of aid convoys and international agencies. The Jordanian government has been providing aid to Gaza through both air drops and overland convoys throughout the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his visit to Israel, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow more aid to be delivered to Gaza. He stated the need for measures to improve the delivery of humanitarian aid and ensure that aid shipments were not arbitrarily denied entry.
While the focus of Blinken’s visit was on improving aid access to Gaza, he also warned against any potential military actions in Rafah by Israel. Netanyahu had previously stated that Israel would carry out an operation in Rafah regardless of reaching a ceasefire agreement.
UN aid chief Martin Griffiths stressed that any improvements in aid access should not be used as a pretext for military action in Rafah. Israel was urged to focus on facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and avoid any escalation of violence in the region.
