‘Thoroughly inspected’ - Aid trucks enter the Gaza Strip after months of blockade
Gov't still plans to set up IDF-controlled humanitarian zones to prevent Hamas seizure
Despite having promised to not allow humanitarian aid to Gaza unless Hamas released the hostages, the Israeli government on Monday approved the entry of several trucks into the Gaza Strip.
The decision was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faced significant criticism from coalition partners over the reversal of the previous policy.
Netanyahu later released a video explaining his decision after facing criticism from members of his own party.
“We are quickly approaching a red line, a situation where we lose control,” Netanyahu said in the video. Noting that even steadfast friends of Israel from the U.S. asked him to prevent famine, he explained that the resumption of aid was necessary, despite the new distribution mechanism not being ready for a few more days.
The IDF and government officials claimed that only five trucks entered the Gaza Strip after careful inspection by security officials.
“Following the recommendation of professional IDF officials and in accordance with the directive of the political echelon, 5 UN trucks carrying humanitarian aid, including food for babies, were transferred today (Monday) via the Kerem Shalom Crossing into the Gaza Strip. All aid was transferred following a thorough security inspection by the Israel MOD Crossing Points Authority,” a statement by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said.
“The IDF will continue to facilitate humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip while making every effort to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas.”
Director General of @IsraelMFA Mr. Eden Bar Tal:
— COGAT (@cogatonline) May 19, 2025
"From the beginning of the war, Israel has stated clearly – we are monitoring the levels of basic items in Gaza, and we will facilitate the supply of items in low levels to avoid shortages.
True to these statements - Israel is… https://t.co/7uVrg32QN3
However, videos posted to social media by the activist group Tsav 9 showed over a dozen trucks lined up at the inspection point, and a government official later admitted that at least 9 trucks, not the claimed 5 trucks, actually entered the Gaza Strip on Monday.
Senior Israeli officials have said that the humanitarian aid to Gaza will be distributed through international organizations that have no known affiliation with Hamas, in cooperation with Arab groups who have been working in Gaza throughout the war, primarily from Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
One official acknowledged that some aid could still reach Hamas, but said the government believes most of the aid will not.
“There is no 100 percent guarantee the aid won’t reach Hamas,” the official acknowledged to Ynet, “but we believe the vast majority will not.”
Channel 14 news reported that the COGAT representative in the Cabinet discussion on Monday said there is concern that between 15 and 20 percent of the aid entering will find its way to the hands of Hamas.
The news channel also cited sources who said the aid will be distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in the interim, until the new system of aid distribution is established.
Israel still plans to set up a new system of humanitarian aid distribution in IDF-controlled territory in the Gaza Strip, which is intended to prevent Hamas from seizing aid.
It is estimated that several more trucks will enter Gaza on Tuesday, and as of Tuesday morning, trucks with humanitarian aid were already spotted at inspection points.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party, released a statement on Monday, saying the government was bringing in “a minimum of food and medicine” to the Gaza Strip.
He also stated that the government has not abandoned its goals for the war.
“We are destroying what is still left of the Strip, simply because everything there is one big city of terror... and with God's help, it will lead to the destruction of Hamas, and the return of the hostages,” he stated.
Smotrich was a vocal critic of the resumption of aid to Gaza and had threatened to leave the government if aid resumed. However, he said that in the current case, “No aid reaches Hamas.”
Smotrich also claimed that the IDF is monitoring each aid truck to ensure it does not reach Hamas, and speculated that the IDF could even strike aid trucks if Hamas attempted to seize them.
According to a report by Army Radio on Tuesday morning, the government estimates that none of the aid trucks were seized by Hamas, and all reached their intended destinations. He also claimed that more aid trucks will enter Gaza later in the day.
In December, Smotrich called for Israel to assume responsibility for the distribution of humanitarian aid, to ensure Hamas does not seize the aid.
Ynet news reported on Monday that the American aid organization Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is supported by special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, arrived in Israel on Sunday, and is working to establish its operations in the near future.
The organization will distribute aid directly to Gaza families at IDF-established distribution points, which have not yet been announced. Ynet reported that the current distribution method will be in place until May 24, at which point GHF should begin distributing aid.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
