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Protests erupted at Israel’s main harbor on Thursday as activists rejected humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
Dozens of people sat down at the Ashdod port entrance to inspect the trucks’ cargo destinations. While it is unclear whether the protesters obstructed assistance vehicles, the United Nations has pushed Israel to allow humanitarian delivery through the port.
These protests have occurred before. On Sunday, activists shut down the Karam Abu Salem crossing, preventing humanitarian relief vehicles from entering Gaza for the fourth time.
⚡ Israeli activists continue to protest the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza, blocking a major intersection near the Ashdod seaport. pic.twitter.com/26BGTIAn7u
— War Watch (@WarWatchs) February 1, 2024
On Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a press conference at the defense ministry, emphasizing that the effective completion of the war’s purpose and objectives would be impossible without the provision of critical humanitarian aid to Gaza.
At the start of the battle, Israel erected a blockade on Gaza, making it difficult for supplies to enter. Despite lessening under US pressure, the amount of aid supplied remained a fraction of pre-war levels.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
"Our crushing victory is more important than anything. Continue at full force so that our victory will be even more crushing". These were the final words written by heroic fighter Elkanah Wiesel, who fell this week.https://t.co/plxJYf8ODz pic.twitter.com/7eBrZzt3pL
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) January 27, 2024
The war’s toll in Gaza has resulted in a serious humanitarian crisis. U.N. agency heads have warned of an impending famine and disease breakout if immediate assistance is not supplied.
Israeli restrictions and the ongoing conflict have hampered assistance deliveries to Gaza’s north, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are said to have remained.
According to UN officials, over a quarter of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are at risk of famine, highlighting the critical need for continuous humanitarian operations in the midst of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
