Israeli aid going in to Kerem Shalom on 28 Dec

Here's a video you don't usually get to see:

Iran sending 2000 ton aid ship to Gaza

We said it would only be a matter of time:

COGAT update 30 December (part 2)

COGAT has published a comprehensive report detailing aid since November 5 2008 (22,246 tonnes in the last 6 weeks) and explaining Israel’s intentions to deliver aid throughout the current offensive:

• Open contacts and 24 hour "hot line" with the International Organizations (UNRAW, ICRC, WHO, WFP, etc) in order to estimate the humanitarian needs and requirements, throughout the operation.

• COGAT officers are working around the clock in order to facilitate the humanitarian requirements.

• Throughout the whole operation COGAT will be in contact with all the relevant representative (MFA, ambassadors, UN, ICRC and NGO’S).

And interestingly:

• COGAT is also in contact with the P.A. (Abu-Mazen/ Fayad), the Fatah civilian board at Gaza and the private sector, in order to assess the humanitarian needs and requirements as well as coordinating the entry of products and merchandise into Gaza.

• The humanitarian assistance is an integral part of the operation

What happened to Dignity?

Free Gaza sent the Dignity from Cyprus to Gaza on 29 December with 3 tons of medical aid.

Unfortunately when it got there it was apprehended – various sources covered the clash between Dignity and an Israeli Navy vessel. There’s some confusion over what happened; Israel’s now claiming that Dignity actually crashed into their boat after trying to make a sharp turn. It sounds more like a computer game going wrong than an evasive manouevure:

The SS Dignity set sail from Cyprus on December 29 towards the Gaza Strip. During the process of identifying the ship, Israeli naval vessels approached in order to inform it that it would not be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, which is a war zone and under closure.

The Dignity did not answer the Israeli hail and responded by making a sharp turn. The Israeli vessel was forced to execute emergency maneuvers in order to avoid the Dignity. The Dignity continued sailing and hit the Israeli vessel. Both vessels suffered light damage.

Following this incident, the Dignity answered the Israeli hail and began moving towards Cyprus. Israeli naval ships are escorting the Dignity and extending any assistance required on its way to the Cypriot port of Larnaca. The Israeli navy offered its assistance to the ship and was told that it was not necessary.

No casualties reported in the press, although FGM is concerned for their health and welfare on its website.

Gazans being treated in Israeli hospitals

Apparently Erez will be open today for humanitarian and medical cases – we can safely assume therefore that Gazan civilian casualties are being brought to Israeli hospitals for treatment.

 

More aid on its way

Israel says it’s holding the current aid and just waiting for an opportunity to send it through:

 

13 trucks of food and medicine from Jordan

11,000 food packages from Turkey

34 warzone injury kits and 16 WHO emergency medicine kits from Norway

COGAT update 30 December

COGAT has published a comprehensive report detailing aid since November 5 2008 (22,246 tonnes in the last 6 weeks) and explaining Israel’s intentions to deliver aid throughout the current offensive:

 

•          Open contacts and 24 hour "hot line" with the International Organizations (UNRAW, ICRC, WHO, WFP, etc) in order to estimate the humanitarian needs and requirements, throughout the operation.

•          COGAT officers are working around the clock in order to facilitate the humanitarian requirements.

•          Throughout the whole operation COGAT will be in contact with all the relevant representative (MFA, ambassadors, UN, ICRC and NGO’S).

 

And interestingly:

 

•          COGAT is also in contact with the P.A. (Abu-Mazen/ Fayad), the Fatah civilian board at Gaza and the private sector, in order to assess the humanitarian needs and requirements as well as coordinating the entry of products and merchandise into Gaza.

•          The humanitarian assistance is an integral part of the operation

 

Statistics on today's aid into Gaza

If you can read Hebrew, this is very useful information. If not, suffice to say: 

1496 tons on 63 trucks entered Kerem Shalom today, 

mostly urgently-needed medical supplies and food for UNWRA's most needy recipients:

‏ 

הנדון : סיכום פעילות מעברים בגזרה הדרומית לתאריך:26.12.2008

מעבר כרם-שלום: 

שעות פעילות המעבר:08:00-16:30

טובין	מס' משאיות	משקל בטון/כמות
מזון ותרופות תרומה ירדנית	12	264
קמח	10	314
אורז UNRWA	8	159
שמן	5	140
תרומה מיצרית	5	-
קמח  WFP	4	122
סוכר תרומה מצרית	3	94
תרופות	3	44
תרופות  WHO	3	40
סוכר	2	79
קמח תרומה מיצרית	2	88
אורז	2	62
מלח WFO	1	40
אבקת חלב	1	19
אבקת חלב UNRWA	1	15
בייצי רבייה	1	19 (280,000 יח')
סה"כ	63	1496

פירוט מעבר המשאיות:

פירוט משאיות שתואמו מול משאיות שפרקו בפועל במעבר כרם-שלום:

טובין	משאיות  שתואמו	משאיות שפרקו בפועל
מזון ותרופות תרומה ירדנית	12	12
קמח	10	10
אורז UNRWA	9	8
שמן	5	5
תרומה מיצרית	5	5
קמח  WFP	4	4
סוכר תרומה מצרית	3	3
תרופות	3	3
תרופות  WHO	3	3
סוכר	3	2
קמח תרומה מיצרית	2	2
אורז	2	2
מלח WFO	1	1
אבקת חלב	1	1
אבקת חלב UNRWA	1	1
בייצי רבייה	1	1
תרופות UNICEF	1	0
סה"כ	66	63

Kerem Shalom open today - even as Israel bombards Gaza

COGAT sent this out to press wires earlier today:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials discuss aid to Gaza with international organizations 

December 28, 2008

A delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Deputy Director General for Economic Affairs Irit Ben-Abba, Dep. DG for UN and International Organizations Eviatar Manor, and Head of the Bureau for Middle East Economic Affairs Yael Ravia-Zadok – met today with representatives from UNSCO, UNRWA, the Red Cross and WHO for the purpose of estimating the humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip and ensuring the entry of the required aid, especially food and medical equipment. The Ministry officials assured the representatives of the international organizations that every effort would be made to transfer the necessary humanitarian aid.

In response to a request made by the international organizations, the Kerem Shalom Crossing was opened for the delivery of truckloads of food and medical equipment. The aid was donated by UNRWA, WHO and the Red Cross. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working in coordination with COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) to transfer needed aid to the Gaza Strip, in accordance with instructions from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Aid not coming through Rafah

$1m of aid – that’s a lot of food – is now en route to cross into Gaza, as agreed yesterday afternoon between ICRC and the Egyptian Government.

In a twist to the tale – it’s not coming through Rafah but through the Israel-Gaza crossing at Kerem Shalom – that lots of coordination right there. But in a mirror of the Israeli rule, Egypt won’t allow it to cross into Israel until terrorists stop firing rockets from Gaza at the convoy…

More soon.

 

Food aid via Rafah: breakdown

Reuters Alertnet notes that Mohamen Orabi, Egyptian ICRC North Sinai group head stated:

40 tons flour
20 tons rice
Some medical supplies

(The article also notes that Free Gaza made it on Saturday – they were carrying a ton of aid too.)

 

Rafah to open?

We’re seeing reports on Xinhua and AFP which seem to say that as part of the Egyptian-brokered 24-hour lull (tehdiyeh, like that from 19 June) they will open the Rafah border crossing to let in food aid supplies imminently.

No word on what or when – we’ll keep you updated.

 

Free Gaza video

A slight diversion from this site's non-political stance - but a useful video nevertheless from Free Gaza, documenting their latest trip:

On or off?

BBC is carrying a report (which seems more likely by the hour) that they have received a communique affirming Hamas’ commitment to breaking the ceasefire.

“Israel has said it is in favour of renewing the truce.
The Islamist militant group Hamas says Israel failed to ease its blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials insist they never made a commitment to do so…

"No mediator has approached us to extend the ceasefire so based on this... [after 19 December] we will respond to any Israeli aggression," the communique said.

 

Still a few hours left…

 

 

OCHA OPT: 'Six trucks a day through end of November'

OCHA reports that despite Israel’s intensified blockade of Gaza, 6 trucks a day have been getting through.

That’s a pitiful statistic when compared to 123 trucks a day in October 2008 and 475 in May 2008.

Or it might be a tiny chink of hope...

 

 

UN OCHA long-term report: humanitarian situation report

OCHA has published an in-depth report on the humanitarian crises in Gaza, as reported by UNRWA and OCHA. It doesn’t make for good bedtime reading.

High/lowlights (from an aid point of view):
* UN reports 51% of all Gaza’s power is provided by Israel and 7% by Egypt, total 58%
* Israel is providing enough fuel to power Gaza’s power station to 75-80% capacity, but not during past month

* UN calls for an immediate effort to build desalination plants and artificially recharge Gaza’s aquifer in order to provide water for Gaza’s residents

 

 

Financial aid: Italy provides €300k

Via Reliefweb: Italy's Foreign Affairs Ministry, through its Directorate-General for Cooperation and Development, has earmarked €300k for ICRC and primarily for Gaza.

The money will be used for health services and medical supplies.

 

And there's a bid from al-Zahar too

And Mahmoud al-Zahar has apparently said that he’ll (for Hamas) consider an extension to the ceasefire if Israel provides more food, fuel and other supplies.

Anyone listening in Jerusalem?

 

Hamas confusion over possible ceasefire extension

JPost carries an article asking whether Khaled Meshaal is trying to force a Hamas leadership split with Ismail Haniyeh.

Meshaal made public comments on Wednesday stating Hamas’ commitment to a resumption of rockets; other leaders (privately) stated that they ‘had no choice but to continue with the tehdiyeh’.

Izzedin al-Qassam, the Hamas ‘armed wing’, held a press conference (wearing balaclavas) and giving equally contradictory responses.

Gossip and intrigue? Or a silver lining?

 

Wrong type of aid entirely

Israel’s sent in rockets and warplanes following a Gazan rocket barrage aimed at Sderot. Workshops and a blacksmiths’ forge destroyed, but no casualties reported.

 

New boat: Jordan

Jordan’s sending in another boat, due to set sail on December 25. Slight challenge in that its organisers, the Islamic Action Front, worry that it will have to be refueled at least 6 times on the way to Gaza. Anyway, fingers crossed.

It’ll have activists, trades unionists, MPs and aid on board.

 

It's not Gaza but...

… the Municipality of Jerusalem is giving all Christian residents a free Christmas tree!

Who says this isn’t the season of cheer and goodwill?

New boat: Free Gaza 5

Free Gaza is sending Dignity back to Gaza – with 1 ton of Qatari aid and two Israeli journalists – on Friday. Fingers crossed!

 

Cooking gas into Gaza via tunnels

Hamas has put aside concerns over the safety of pumping pressurized cooking gas into Gaza via balloons in the Rafah tunnels. Apparently this method, which was too dangerous in the past (leading to explosions and injuries) is now fine.

You may remember that Hamas has regulated the tunnel industry – we must also hope it has placed safety above income.

 

Ceasefire ends tonight at 12am

Today marks the end of the 6-month Egyptian-brokered Hamas-Israel ‘lull’ (tehdiyeh).

Lots of news sources waiting for something to happen.
Hamas claims it’s not going to renew the arrangement, saying it wasn’t invited to Egypt to discuss an extension.
Israel’s defence minister Ehud Barak says he’s prepared for an incursion if necessary, but would prefer not to fight.

A new threat from tramadol

Guardian Online carries a story about the booming trade in tramadol, a painkiller which heightens mood, relieves stress and increases sexual function, in Gaza. At 17p a tablet, only 5% of users are legally prescribed; the rest are addicted to supplies brought through the tunnels from Egypt.

Definitely amongst the worst kind of aid…

 

Here's the unofficial statement from UNRWA

No flour, says UNRWA.

Bizarrely, they also say ‘all crossings are closed’. They must mean today.

UN suspends food aid programme

International Herald Tribune and many others are reporting that UNRWA in Gaza has suspended its food aid programme, citing lack of resources.

This wouldn’t be a surprise if it had come before yesterday’s aid shipment, since there’s no doubt that supplies would have been running extremely low. However, yesterday COGAT reported a convoy of 1353 tons of food and medical aid.

More details as we get them.