Jerusalem — Recent months have seen a series of attacks by Jewish settlers and right-wing extremists on aid convoys headed to Gaza, sparking widespread condemnation. Social media has been flooded with images and videos of far-right Israeli activists obstructing aid trucks, seizing supplies, and discarding aid intended for the beleaguered Palestinian territory.
Inside right-wing Israeli attacks on Gaza aid convoys, who's behind them, and who's suffering from them https://t.co/8Al0wnwF8l
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 12, 2024
The White House has expressed strong disapproval, with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stating last month that it was "a total outrage that there are people who are attacking and looting these convoys coming from Jordan and going to Gaza to deliver humanitarian assistance." Sullivan emphasized, "We are looking at the tools that we have to respond to this. We are also raising our concerns at the highest level of the Israeli government and it's something that we make no bones about — this is completely and utterly unacceptable behavior."
The violence hasn't been limited to the looting of aid. There have been incidents of physical assaults as well. In a video obtained by CBS News, Palestinian truck driver Mohsen Shaheen is seen lying bloodied next to his vehicle. Shaheen recounted being attacked by settlers who mistakenly believed he was transporting aid to Gaza. "The window to my truck was open and a settler came and sprayed me with pepper spray," Shaheen told CBS News. "Then there was a rock or iron bar smashing the other window. It hit me in the face. Blood was everywhere… I thought I was going to die." He noted that Israeli soldiers present did little to help him.
Last month, Israeli peace activist Sapir Sluzker Amran described a similar attack in the occupied West Bank. Amran, who witnessed right-wing activists assaulting an aid truck, was herself slapped when she attempted to intervene. She alleged that the Israel Defense Forces personnel on the scene did nothing to prevent the assault. Furthermore, Amran claimed that extremists were often informed about aid convoys by Israeli military and police officials. "They know, so they have information beforehand about when the trucks are coming, and they publish it on social media and they publish it on their groups, WhatsApp groups, and asking people to join and block or damage the aid," she said.
CBS News accessed a WhatsApp group used by one of these extremist factions called "we won't forget." The group detailed the number of trucks in each convoy, their routes, and the border crossings they would use. One message explained, "Methods for Blocking Acts: We get preliminary info from border crossing workers, police, and soldiers."
When contacted, Israel's security forces denied the allegations that members were tipping off far-right groups. The Israeli military referred CBS News to the police, who dismissed the claims as "baseless" and "unfounded rumors."
Another message from the WhatsApp group referenced Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's ultranationalist Finance Minister, indicating his involvement in obstructing aid. The text stated, "For those who ask, the following information came from Minister Smotrich who wrote to the Prime Minister and asked him how come he approved aid to Gaza." Smotrich, who has significant influence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, previously blocked a U.S.-funded flour shipment to Gaza, falsely claiming it would be diverted to Hamas.
CBS News requested a comment from Smotrich regarding his alleged support for the extremist groups, but his office firmly denied any involvement.
Blocking aid to Gaza is not a marginal view in Israel. A survey by Shiluv I2R, a prominent Israeli research firm, found that 44% of Israelis believe aid should be contingent on a hostage release deal, while 22% opposed any aid until the conflict ends.
Yosef de Bresser, a key organizer of the blockade movement, admitted to being detained multiple times for obstructing aid but remains uncharged. "In every war there is someone who loses and someone who wins," he said, justifying his actions. "Either the people in Gaza will die, either the people in Israel will die... It's black and white."
Despite these disruptions, aid agencies report that the primary impediment to delivering aid is the Israeli government’s complex and inconsistent inspection and approval processes. The U.N. warns that 1.1 million people in Gaza face severe hunger, with the territory nearing famine conditions.
Shaheen Mohsen, unable to work since his attack, expressed a bleak outlook on justice. "I don't expect justice. The whole world sees that there is no justice," he lamented.
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