Inspectors in Israel this week thwarted an attempt to smuggle several oxygen concentrators for use in aerating tunnels operated by terrorist groups in Gaza, according to two senior Israeli officials.
"These weren't for use in the hospitals, but below them," one of the officials told The Times of Israel. "That's why they were smuggled among boxes of cookies."
The truck was barred from entering Gaza. The officials did not provide a photo of the devices or disclose which organization had sent the truck.
Hundreds of trucks with humanitarian aid have been entering Gaza since Egypt opened its Rafah crossing last month. The shipments must undergo inspections by Egyptian and Israeli authorities.
The trucks, which first enter Egypt, undergo initial inspections there before being driven into Israel, coming through the Nitzana crossing. There, they are inspected by the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories military liaison before they are sent to Egypt to head to Gaza, an Israeli official said.
The inspection method was approved after talks between Israel, Egypt, and the United States.
Meanwhile, Israel is rejecting calls to allow fuel to be sent into Gaza, due to concern that Hamas will divert it to power the tunnels.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said Thursday that Israel will let fuel in, also through the Rafah crossing, if it's determined the hospitals in Gaza are in need. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement shortly afterward, saying he has "not approved the entry of fuel into Gaza."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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