[IsraelTimes] Israel hopes to take direct control of the entry of all humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and presented a plan last week that would enable it to do so, the Washington Post reports, citing sources briefed on the details of the plan.
Relevant agencies are said to have been briefed on Wednesday and Thursday last week by COGAT, the Defense Ministry body facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, regarding its plans for the future of aid deliveries to the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
According to the report, the plan will see all entry points from Israel into the Strip shuttered, with the exception of the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Any aid arriving at the Kerem Shalom border crossing will undergo a mandated screening, the Post reports, and will be directed to one of several planned “logistics hubs,” from where it will be distributed.
The logistics hubs could potentially be secured by private contractors, the Post says, citing officials from several international aid organizations and the United Nations.
It adds that Israel also plans to create a tracking system to ensure that all aid reaches its intended destination, amid accusations from Israel that the Hamas terror group that rules Gaza has been diverting supplies for its own use.
The report comes after Israel announced earlier this week that it was halting the entry of all aid into Gaza due to what it said was Hamas’s refusal to accept a proposal to extend the recently completed first stage of a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
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