IDF Says More Than 93,000 Tents and 8,600 Winter-Supply Trucks Have Entered Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces said on November 13 that more than 93,000 tents and more than 8,600 trucks carrying winter supplies had entered the Gaza Strip since winter preparations began. Thousands of those tents and hundreds of those trucks entered during the past week, according to the military. The IDF and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, known as COGAT, said their humanitarian coordination included the Board of Peace, the United Nations, international organizations and donor countries. The measures described in the statement included the entry of 16 sewage vacuum trucks, approval of mobile clinics and vaccinations, and repairs to sewage, drainage and water infrastructure. Approval and coordination for medical equipment and water, sanitation and hygiene equipment were continuing. Hundreds of trucks carrying medical equipment and medications entered Gaza in recent weeks, with the supplies delivered directly to hospitals and clinics, the IDF said. The shipments included medications, dialysis fluids, defibrillators, incubators, ultrasound machines and physiotherapy equipment. The military and COGAT said they would continue working with international partners to meet winter needs. The IDF described Hamas as the main obstacle to Gaza's rehabilitation and accused the terrorist organization of exploiting humanitarian infrastructure and incoming aid, particularly winter supplies. The military said: "As long as Hamas does not disarm, the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip will not be possible."