Israel says all aid convoys entering Gaza have been checked for contraband

Carrie Keller-Lynn is a former political and legal correspondent for The Times of Israel

A convoy of trucks carrying aid supplies for Gaza from Egypt waits on the main Ismailia desert road, about 300 kilometers east of the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip, on the way to the Rafah crossing on October 16, 2023. (Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
A convoy of trucks carrying aid supplies for Gaza from Egypt waits on the main Ismailia desert road, about 300 kilometers east of the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip, on the way to the Rafah crossing on October 16, 2023. (Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)

An Israeli government spokesman denies reports that humanitarian aid has been flowing into the Gaza Strip without being checked for weapons and contraband.

“All supplies were inspected before entering Gaza. Israel has the ability to make sure nothing that was brought in that was not approved,” says Eylon Levy, in a Tel Aviv news conference with reporters.

“Israel wants aid” to flow into Gaza, but “we will not let that aid be diverted to Hamas,” he reiterates.

An Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Saturday that Egypt, in “coordination” with Israel, is responsible for physically checking aid convoys.

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