Israeli forces turned back a UN aid convoy from a checkpoint in northern Gaza. It was then looted by 'reckless people'. According to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
The convoy of 14 trucks carrying food aid was turned away by the Israeli army after waiting for three hours at the Wadi Gaza checkpoint in southeastern Gaza, refusing entry, WFP said.
WFP made its first attempt to send an aid convoy to northern Gaza on Tuesday after suspending aid deliveries since February 20. The United Nations food agency has suspended aid deliveries to Gaza City in northern Gaza after hundreds of Palestinians were killed in an aid convoy near Gaza City and shot by Israeli forces.
WFP said in a statement that after Israeli forces diverted the convoy from Wadi Gaza, a large group of reckless people looted food from the convoy on its way back. They looted about 200 tons of food. They are exploring all means of sending food to northern Gaza, but a lot of food is needed to avoid famine. And it can be taken only by road. Early Tuesday morning, together with the Jordanian Air Force, they dropped 6 tons of food in northern Gaza. The organization said that this food is enough for 20 thousand people.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has warned that the situation will be "very dangerous" if there is no ceasefire in Gaza before the Holy Ramadan. Biden made the warning on Tuesday. At the same time, he said, the acceptance of the ceasefire agreement depends on Hamas. A possible ceasefire agreement in Gaza is being discussed in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. Meanwhile, for the second time in Gaza, the US military has dropped relief aid from aircraft. Biden told ally Israel there would be no excuses for not allowing more aid to reach Gaza.
On the other hand, the United States is disappointed that Hamas did not agree to the terms of the ceasefire, including the release of the hostages. Such a statement came from Biden in this context.
On the other hand, Osama Hamdan, a senior official of the Palestinian independence group Hamas, said that only after a cease-fire in Gaza could an exchange of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages take place. Ceasefire talks are underway between Hamas, Egyptian and Qatari officials in Cairo. Hamdan said this in between. There was no sign of progress in the talks.
At a press conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, Hamdan reiterated his party's conditions for the ceasefire agreement. These are - an end to the Israeli military offensive, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and the return of displaced Palestinians who fled to other parts of Gaza.
The death toll from Israel's military operation in Gaza has risen to 30,717. Another 72 thousand 156 people were injured. About 86 Palestinians have been killed in fresh attacks in Gaza in the past 24 hours. Another 113 people were injured at this time. News from BBC, Al Jazeera and Reuters.
