The war in Gaza has expanded to include a fierce battle over humanitarian aid. In recent months, Israeli activists have been at odds over aid lorries entering Gaza, with tensions escalating at key junctions such as the Kerem Shalom crossing. Rival groups of activists have been clashing, either blocking or protecting aid convoys.
Social media is awash with images and videos of aid lorries being blocked and ransacked. Right-wing activists, including Jewish settlers from the occupied West Bank, have shared footage of crowds, including children, hurling food onto the ground and stamping on boxes of aid. One activist declared, “It’s important to stop the aid. It’s the only way we’ll win. The only way we’ll get our hostages back.”
Many of these activists argue that aid should be withheld until Israeli hostages are freed, believing that providing aid to Gaza prolongs the conflict. Some videos show jubilant protesters dancing on looted lorries, while others depict stranded lorries set ablaze. In Jerusalem, vigilantes have been stopping lorries to check if they were transporting aid to Gaza, acting with apparent impunity.
This has led to violent incidents in the West Bank, where at least two drivers not carrying goods for Gaza were dragged from their cabs and beaten. Palestinian lorry drivers have reported being traumatized by these events. Adel Amro, a driver attacked while transporting goods from the West Bank to Gaza, expressed his fear for his life. Other drivers are now taking side roads to avoid main routes due to the aggression of the settlers.
In response to these attacks, peace activists have mobilized to protect the aid convoys. The group Standing Together, which includes both Jews and Arabs from across Israel, has been monitoring key crossing points like the Tarqumiya checkpoint. This location was the scene of a recent dramatic attack on aid lorries.
Suf Patishi, a founding member of Standing Together, emphasized the importance of getting aid to Gaza. “People in Gaza are starving and aid should get to Gaza. Israeli society should say in a loud and clear voice that we are opposed to these acts,” he stated. The group has accused the police, under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, of failing to adequately stop the attacks. They allege that settlers are receiving help from the authorities, pointing to text messages suggesting collusion between attackers and the police and army.
The peace activists have found support among lorry drivers, who wave and sound their horns in gratitude as they pass by. Despite being outnumbered, a small group of right-wing demonstrators continues to confront the peace activists. Police officers have been present to keep the opposing groups apart and prevent violence.
Ariel and Shira, two young women opposing the aid, acknowledged the potential starvation in Gaza but insisted that Hamas is misappropriating the aid. They expressed a preference for stopping aid to protect their families, despite the negative image it projects for Israel.
As the situation continues to evolve, the conflict over Gaza-bound aid convoys highlights the deep divisions within Israeli society regarding the war and humanitarian aid.
