Beyond the Battlefield

Israel’s Humanitarian Effort in Gaza

How many countries can you think of that have fought a war while also aiding the civilian population of their enemy? You’ve likely heard of just one - Israel. 

While actively fighting Hamas, Israel has made significant efforts to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza . Why? Because Israel and the IDF’s moral code makes one thing clear - 

Our fight is against Hamas, NOT the people of Gaza. 

The humanitarian aid effort is a complex, multi-layered operation that goes far beyond merely sending food and water. It requires navigating the immense challenges of delivering aid in an active war zone. The task is made even harder by Hamas, which exploits its own people by stealing incoming aid for its own benefit. It’s a logistical feat that Israel takes on daily, despite the risks and challenges.

Humanitarian Aid Ready to Enter the Gaza Strip:

Hamas Members Beating Civilians and Stealing Humanitarian Aid:

The Scale of Our Commitment

Despite the obstacles, we remain committed to facilitating aid to Gaza’s civilian population. Here’s what that looks like:

Through multiple routes and crossings, Israel has facilitated the delivery of over 1.1 million tons of aid—food, water, medical supplies, shelter supplies, and more—by land, air, and sea. This vast operation involves coordination with many partners including, the U.S. and international organizations, all working to aid the people of Gaza, who have been abandoned by the people who claim to lead them. 

“The responsibility for protecting the civilians of Gaza lies with the United Nations and Israel, not Hamas.” - Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official

At the heart of this system is COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories). COGAT acts as the central hub, maintaining constant communication between the Israeli government, the IDF, NGOs, and international partners. We have established the “Joint Coordination Room,” where daily assessments are held with representatives from the U.S., Egypt, UN, and additional partners to solve problems and streamline the humanitarian effort.

Why go to these lengths? Humanitarian aid efforts are an integral part of our operations in the Gaza Strip, even when Hamas tries to undermine these efforts by diverting supplies for terror purposes.

Tactical Coordination Amidst Combat

To support the activities on the ground, all essential movements are coordinated and monitored in close cooperation with the IDF forces currently operating in the Gaza Strip. We have also issued tactical pauses throughout the war which has given Gazan civilians safe passage to humanitarian areas and has allowed for aid to be transferred.

On the ground, our civilian affairs officers work alongside IDF units, including in northern Gaza, to monitor and facilitate essential aid deliveries. They operate across all command levels, enabling civilians to move away from the battlefield, evacuate those who needs medical treatment, and access food and medical supplies.

The Numbers Tell the Story

So far, this system has enabled the delivery of:

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• 56,000+ aid trucks, carrying over 1.1 million tons of humanitarian supplies

• Nearly 40,000 trucks with around 850,000 tons of food

• Over 2,500 trucks, delivering approximately 52,000 liters of water

• 2,800+ trucks, transporting about 28,000 tons of medical equipment

• The airdrop of almost 10,000 aid packages 

• The establishment of numerous field hospitals in Gaza

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More aid is now getting into northern Gaza. 50,000 liters of fuel, 180 units of blood, and hundreds of boxes of medical supplies and food have been delivered to support the critical needs of hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip.  Since the beginning of last month, more than 700 aid trucks have entered northern Gaza through the Erez West crossing. However, a significant challenge remains in the collection and distribution of this aid, there are approximately 700 trucks worth of aid waiting for collection by international organizations on the Gazan side of the various crossings.

But our aid goes beyond supplying trucks. Recently, we’ve helped carry out one of the largest polio vaccination campaigns in years, vaccinating nearly 90% of Gaza's children, with over 1.1 million doses administered. In coordination with the UAE, EU, WHO, and COGAT, the facilitation of the largest medical evacuation from Gaza via Kerem Shalom, enabled over 220 patients and caregivers to receive treatment abroad, with a total of 800 individuals traveling to Jordan, Romania, the UAE, and the U.S. in recent months.

Current Operations

To boost aid deliveries to Gaza, we are preparing to open the Kissufim Crossing, located across from the humanitarian area. This positioning enables aid to reach the area within minutes and prevents Hamas from stealing it. This has been made possible by recent engineering work from the IDF’s Gaza Division and Southern Command units. These measures ensure the safe transfer of aid to southern Gaza while safeguarding the Israeli communities along the border with the Gaza Strip.

Additionally, we are currently making preparations for the upcoming winter, delivering blankets, tents, hygiene products, garbage containers, and sewage trucks to improve sanitation across Gaza as the colder months approach.

Just today, we announced the expansion of the humanitarian area, which includes field hospitals, tent compounds, shelter supplies, and provisions of food, water, medicine, and medical equipment.

The Real Difference

Hamas may hijack aid and exploit its own people, but they cannot hijack our resolve. While Israel and the IDF see human suffering as a tragedy, Hamas sees human suffering as a strategy. This is the difference between Israel and Hamas, and it’s a difference we fight to uphold every single day.​ The IDF will continue to work toward achieving the objectives of the war, including dismantling Hamas and returning the remaining 101 hostages home, while still ensuring the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.