Israeli protesters stopped aid trucks from reaching Gaza for the third day. The demonstrators, including families of hostages in Gaza, gathered at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, waving Israeli flags and protesting against providing aid to what they see as the enemy.
They demand no aid for Gaza until all hostages are released, despite the U.S. urging uninterrupted aid for Gazan civilians.
At the crossing, trucks carrying aid supplies, some with Egyptian flags, waited for hours as protesters called on the government to halt aid until all captives held by Hamas are freed.
On the first day of protests, only nine trucks crossed at Kerem Shalom, while 114 were diverted to Egypt’s Rafah crossing. The UN reported that only 153 trucks entered Gaza on that day, significantly below recent levels.
Israel faces international pressure to allow more humanitarian relief into Gaza while dealing with domestic pressure to secure the hostages’ release.
Protesters, including relatives of hostages and parents of IDF soldiers in Gaza, fear aid might reach Hamas. Unconfirmed reports suggest Israeli and American officials will hold hostage talks with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Europe. The talks aim to discuss the release of over 100 Israeli hostages and a pause in fighting.
Despite efforts for a ceasefire, heavy fighting continues in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes targeted Hamas locations around Khan Younis, resulting in casualties. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours have killed 183 people and injured nearly 400 others.
Since Israel’s military campaign began with the goal of destroying Hamas after an attack in October last year, health officials report over 26,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza
