On May 16, 2024, we sent legal correspondence to the War Cabinet, together with Gisha, Physicians for Human Rights, and HaMoked, demanding action against anyone who harms the transfer of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The letter states that while an unprecedented humanitarian crisis is taking place in the Gaza Strip, including food shortages and and starvation, for the past five months far-right Israelis have been systematically sabotaging the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza. They block trucks, vandalize and loot aid products, damaging and setting trucks on fire, and completely thwarting the delivery of humanitarian aid for hours and days.
In the correspondence, attorney Roni Pelli of ACRI emphasized that the looters operate in broad daylight without any interference from the enforcement authorities at best, and in many cases with their assistance. Sometimes, after long hours of blockades, some of those present are arrested, but enforcement is only for appearance purposes. Even those who have been documented causing real damage to trucks, vandalizing and looting their contents, is not prosecuted for this. Pelli also stressed that willfully delaying the delivery of humanitarian aid to starve civilians is a war crime under international law, and that it is the duty of the Israeli authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.
"The joy of looting by right-wing activists is indeed shameful, but these events cannot remain only in the realm of morality," the letter states. "It is your duty, under the law, to ensure that trucks passing through Israel and the West Bank can pass safely and reaches its destination, and as an inherent part of this obligation you must order that anyone who interferes with or sabotages the provision of humanitarian aid be held accountable."