From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Israel accuses UN of failing to collect humanitarian aid piling up on Gaza border
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) accuses the United Nations of failing to fulfill its role and collect humanitarian aid from the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
According to COGAT, more than 400 truckloads of humanitarian aid, which were processed through Kerem Shalom, are awaiting collection and distribution.
UN officials and aid groups say they have faced significant challenges distributing the aid because of insecurity, the risk of looting, and coordination issues with Israeli authorities.
“With the renewed entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, we have reached out to all humanitarian aid organizations and the international community, and called for them to take part in the distribution of aid to Gazan civilians. However, in the past few days, the UN has avoided fulfilling its role and instead continues to spread false and incorrect information regarding civilian distress,” says COGAT chief Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian in a statement.
“Israel has expanded the routes and aid, and extended the times of collection. Now it’s the UN’s turn to act accordingly with its obligation. We call on the UN to fulfill their mission entrusted to it as a key humanitarian partner as demanded and without any further delays,” he adds.
Alongside the statement, COGAT publishes an image showing the apparent contents of the 400 trucks, which are waiting to be collected at Kerem Shalom.
Israel resumed aid deliveries to Gaza last week, after suspending them for more than two months since March 2. Since then, at least 665 trucks of aid have entered the Strip.
According to COGAT, the contents of 400 of those trucks have not been collected. “The contents, containing primarily food, have accumulated in the past several days and are waiting for collection and distribution by UN teams, which have yet to arrive, collect and distribute aid to the Gazan civilians in the past week,” COGAT says.
“Unfortunately, the UN teams failed to arrive to collect and distribute the aid to Gazan civilians, despite the logistical and security adjustments conducted by IDF troops to coordinate the distribution of aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip,” it adds.
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