Israel aid blockade remains a month into Gaza ceasefire

Truckloads and pallets of aid are gathering dust in Jordan, Egypt and Israel, Jordanian officials and aid agencies say

- BEL TREW CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Israel has been accused of blocking “10,000 truckloads” of aid from crossing into Gaza, with Jordan, the UK and prominent rights groups among those voicing condemnation.

Since a shooting at the border seven weeks ago, Israel has refused to allow aid from Jordan to enter Gaza via Israel.

That means 10,000 truckloads - including 6,000 belonging to the World Food Programme (WFP) partner and 3,000 to the Jordanian authorities - are gathering dust despite the urgent need, Jordanian government sources told The Independent.

In tandem, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said since the start of the US-brokered October ceasefire, the Israeli authorities have rejected 23 requests to deliver aid from nine aid agencies.

That means nearly over 1,600 metric tonnes of aid items - including tents, bedding, kitchen sets and blankets - are stuck in Jordan, Egypt and Israel.

It comes just days after UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper visited British-purchased supplies stuck in warehouses in Jordan, where she urged more crossings to open, warning that “the people of Gaza cannot afford to wait”.

In Jordan, officials urged world leaders to pressure Israel to allow waiting aid trucks to cross, as the route from the country is one of the main thoroughfares for supply delivery.