August 14, 2025 | 05:21 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israel returned aid packages for Gaza on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. The packages are now piled on trucks and containers just a few meters from the Egyptian border. According to a CNA report, truck drivers and UN officials complained about the delay in delivering food and medicine to the region.
Seven aid officials and three drivers cited various obstacles, including rejections due to packing or document errors, stringent inspections to anticipate military use, and limited operating hours at the Israeli border crossing.
One of the trucks detained outside the Rafah entrance carried aid with the World Health Organization (WHO) logo containing ointments and suction devices for wound cleansing. A WHO employee at the border said the cargo was blocked on charges of containing illegal drugs.
On July 27, Israel announced steps to increase aid entry after images of starving Gaza residents prompted international condemnation. However, according to aid agencies, only a small amount of supplies managed to enter. Israel denied restricting supplies.
"To see this crossing, which should be a place where people interact with each other, where people can come and go, where people aren’t under blockade, where people who are ill can leave to come out - to see it just silent for the people, it’s absolutely shocking for us," said Clark, a WHO official, to reporters in Rafah.
The Gaza government's media office, controlled by Hamas, stated that since Israel's policy went into effect, only 1,334 trucks entered from all crossings, including Egypt. This figure is far below the 9,000 trucks that should enter if 600 trucks per day were allowed. The United States stated that a minimum of 600 trucks per day is needed to feed the Gaza population.
A WHO employee at the border said that previously, during the ceasefire, aid could enter within a few days, but now it takes a minimum of one month. In mid-July, Israel also required all aid from Egypt to go through customs inspection. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), these regulations added bureaucratic obstacles, delays, and costs for humanitarian organizations.
The Israeli military body coordinating aid, COGAT, stated that they are seriously endeavoring to distribute. They claimed that in recent weeks, around 300 trucks per day entered through all border crossings, mostly carrying food. "Contrary to existing claims, Israel allows and facilitates humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip without limiting the number of trucks," said COGAT.
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