Humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip will “significantly increase” over the coming days as Israel opens the port of Ashdod, about 25 miles north of the Palestinian enclave, and a new crossing into northern Gaza.
Israeli officials over the weekend also said they would facilitate an increase in aid from Jordan through the Kerem Shalom crossing point.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said they are expanding designated humanitarian zones in Gaza where aid will be distributed. The IDF said they will work with international aid organizations for increased efficiency.
“We also facilitated the opening of dozens of bakeries in the north and south of Gaza, together with the World Food Program,” Adm. Hagari said Sunday.
IDF officials said getting aid to the people of Gaza is a top priority because “our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza.”
Israel has accused the Palestinian terror group, which orchestrated the Oct.7 rampage into southern Israel that resulted in the death of more than 1,200 people, of hiding behind civilians and stealing aid meant for civilians.
“We make vast efforts to minimize harm to the civilians that Hamas is hiding behind,” Adm. Hagari said. “We see the suffering of civilians as a tragedy, while Hamas sees the suffering of civilians as a strategy.”