Amman, May 2 (IANS) Jordan’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the assault by extremist Israeli settlers on two Jordanian humanitarian aid convoys to the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry said on Wednesday in a statement that two of the convoys were attacked by extremists, and the Ministry considered Israeli authorities’ failure to provide protection undermined all claims and commitments of the Israeli government to allow aid into Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Jordanian Ministry held the Israeli authorities fully responsible for this crime, calling on the international community to take a clear stance condemning it and to compel Israel to fulfill its legal obligations and ensure the protection of aid convoys and international organisations working to receive and distribute them.
Jordan’s military and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation dispatched a humanitarian aid convoy to northern Gaza earlier on Wednesday, marking the first time aid has entered through the Beit Hanoun crossing.
In a statement, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation said that 31 trucks would cross into the area, with an additional 48 trucks set to pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing, totaling 79 trucks.
In collaboration with the World Food Programme and various global charities, the convoy will deliver food parcels and infant formula to those affected in the conflict-stricken enclave.
The Beit Hanoun crossing, known to Israelis as the Erez crossing, played a crucial role in connecting the Gaza Strip and Israel before the conflict. It primarily facilitated pedestrian movement rather than the transport of goods.
Hussein Al-Shibli, Secretary-General of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation, said that Jordan is constantly working to increase the number of convoys entering Gaza to meet Gaza’s significant needs, following “royal directives” and in line with “the Jordanian commitment to humanitarian support”.
As of now, Jordan has sent 1,242 trucks and 57 aircraft with aid to Gaza, he added.
–IANS
int/khz
