A group of Israeli settlers attempted to attack aid trucks en route to Gaza at the Tarqumiya checkpoint, located south of the occupied West Bank. The incident, which took place on May 19, 2024, saw Israeli occupation soldiers standing idly by as the settlers carried out their search at the military checkpoint.
The trucks were carrying essential food supplies to the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians are in dire need of humanitarian aid due to the ongoing Israeli aggression. The settlers, reportedly members of a far-right group, were seen vandalizing the trucks and throwing the aid supplies on the ground.
Eyewitnesses and social media posts captured the chaos, with one tweet from @QudsNen stating, "Israeli settler mobs try to attack aid trucks at Tarqumiya checkpoint, south of the occupied West Bank, en route to Gaza. Israeli occupation soldiers are standing idly by and just watching the settlers do the search at a military checkpoint."
This incident is not the first of its kind. Just days before, on May 13, 2024, another convoy of aid trucks was attacked by Israeli settlers near the Tarqumiya checkpoint. The group, known for its aggressive opposition to Gazan aid deliveries, took advantage of a moment of silence marking Israel's Memorial Day to blockade the highway and damage the convoy of aid trucks.
The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have issued dire warnings of an impending famine in Gaza, especially in the northern territories, due to the lack of humanitarian aid getting to those in need. The Israeli offensive in Gaza has left much of the Strip in ruins, killing more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to the Associated Press citing the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
The attacks on aid trucks have drawn international condemnation. The White House described the incident in the West Bank as "a total outrage," and President Michael D Higgins of Ireland denounced the Israeli targeting of aid convoys in Gaza.
As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the international community is left to wonder how long these attacks on humanitarian aid will be allowed to continue, and when the much-needed assistance will finally reach the people of Gaza.
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