Israel Sends Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Strip, Hamas Turns It Away
Two large Israeli trucks filled with humanitarian aid supplies were turned away by Hamas at the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post reported. The aid was intended to provide relief for medical shortages following days of violent conflict on the Israel-Gaza border.
Israeli Defense Forces said it sent truckloads of vital medical equipment through the Kerem Shalom crossing, a border crossing on the Gaza-Israel border managed by Israel Airports Authority, “due to severe humanitarian conditions in the Hamas-controlled enclave.”
While Hamas refused any help that came from Israel, it did accept four trucks of aid from the Palestinian Authority and two trucks from UNICEF.
“In addition to 53 tons of medical equipment set to be transported into Gaza this week via the crossing, the increased Israeli aid included more than 14,000 units of intravenous infusions, 40 medical basins, 20 medical examination couches, 25 infusion stands, 85,000 disinfectant pads and 12,500 bandages,” The Jerusalem Post reported.
Hamas is refusing the humanitarian aid that Gazans need pic.twitter.com/MK6eb00KNr
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 16, 2018
Hamas refused the aid despite the director of Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, Ayman Al-Sahabani, saying medical supplies are quickly running out, Reuters reported.
“We are talking about 25 times the capacity of the emergency department, with all the big challenges and the shortage of medicine and medical supplies that has reached critical levels,” he said. “A lot of these patients are waiting their turn to enter the operating rooms.”
Two days of clashes between IDF troops and thousands of Palestinian rioters have brought deadly results on the Israel-Gaza border, following America’s decision to open its embassy in Jerusalem.
Palestinians and Hamas terrorists have been violently demonstrating at various locations along the border, setting tires of fire, launching incendiary kites toward Israel and throwing Molotov cocktails, according to the IDF.
Israel soldiers responded to the attacks and some 50-plus Palestinians have been killed.
“The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said, following a joint investigation conducted by the army and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), that at least 24 of the Palestinians killed during Monday’s riots were terrorists, mostly belonging to Hamas and some to Islamic Jihad. Hamas claims a total of 62 Gazans were killed that day,” The Jerusalem Post reported.
An IDF spokesman, Ronen Manelis, said Hamas is paying families to protest, and is planning to use the protests as cover to abduct soldiers, The Times of Israel reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the violent clashes via Twitter on Monday.
“Each country must protect its borders,” his post roughly translates, according to The Daily Wire. “Hamas’ terrorist organization states that it intends to destroy Israel and send thousands to breach the border fence to realize this goal. We will continue to act firmly to protect our sovereignty and our citizens.”
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