Israel destroys 1,000 truckloads of aid for Gaza Strip

The Israeli army has destroyed an estimated 1,000 truckloads of aid intended for civilians in the Gaza Strip. The aid, including food and medical supplies, was reportedly spoiled, according to the Israeli public broadcaster.

Thousands of packages are still waiting in the sun. If they are not transferred to the Gaza Strip, they too will be destroyed, according to army sources. Despite mounting international pressure to facilitate the delivery of aid, Israeli authorities claimed the destruction was due to alleged shortcomings in the"aid distribution mechanism" within Gaza.

Israel says it has allowed in approximately 4,500 aid trucks since the total blockade was lifted in May. That's about 70 truckloads per day, one of the lowest rates of the war and far fewer than the hundreds the UN says are needed daily. However, Israel says it is allowing sufficient aid through and accuses UN agencies of not doing enough to collect it and deliver it to those in need. The UN, in turn, says it is being hampered by Israeli military restrictions on movement and by looting.

The news comes amid international outrage over the lack of aid for the population of the Gaza Strip. Research conducted last week by the aid organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) shows that a quarter of children in the Gaza Strip between the ages of six months and five are severely malnourished."The deliberate use of hunger as a weapon of war by the Israeli authorities in Gaza has reached unprecedented proportions," MSF warned in a press release on Friday.