Israeli extremist group blocks humanitarian aid to Gaza

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

An Israeli extremist group blocked trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza on Friday at the Kerem Shalom crossing.

The organization, calling itself Tsav 9, had repeatedly disrupted aid deliveries to Gaza during the Israeli genocide before the ceasefire went into effect on Oct. 10.

In a post on the US social media company X, the group said its members were “currently obstructing the passage of aid trucks” at multiple points en route to the crossing, which is controlled by Israel.

The group claimed that “Hamas violates the agreement and refuses to return hostages, so aid that enables them to rebuild must be halted,” adding: “No aid truck will pass until the last dead is returned.”

Contradicting these claims, the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said Wednesday that it is working intensively to recover the remaining bodies of Israeli captives.

The brigades noted that specialized equipment and techniques are required to search under rubble and retrieve the remaining bodies.

The Israeli extremist group posted a video showing its members blocking an aid truck from passing.

Formed during the recent Israeli offensive, Tsav 9 has recently blocked roads leading to crossings, staged protests nearby, and in some cases looted or damaged aid shipments, according to the Times of Israel daily.

Hamas released 20 living Israeli hostages and handed over the remains of 10 more captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under the ceasefire agreement.

The deal was reached between Israel and Hamas last week, based on a plan presented by US President Donald Trump. Phase one included the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, and rendered it largely uninhabitable.