The Israeli army announced that dozens of settlers attacked a truck in the West Bank on Thursday night, resulting in injuries to the driver and several soldiers. Local media attributed the attack to settlers who suspected the truck was transporting aid to the Gaza Strip. The incident occurred near the "Kochav Hashachar" settlement in northwestern West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967.
According to the army, its soldiers intervened "to separate the Israelis from the Israeli driver" of the truck who was attacked and to provide him medical assistance. It was explained that "dozens of Israelis... responded violently," leading to three Israeli soldiers sustaining "minor injuries." The army condemned "all forms of violence against soldiers and security forces," affirming that it "will work to ensure that those who commit these acts are prosecuted."
On Tuesday, the Israeli police announced that they had opened an investigation after right-wing activists stopped and looted at least seven humanitarian aid trucks heading to Gaza. The attack on Monday targeted a convoy coming from Jordan near the Tarkumiya crossing in the West Bank. The attackers threw the food supplies, which included bags of grains, rice, flour, packs of biscuits, and dried soup, onto the ground and stomped on them. Photos and footage showed the materials scattered on the ground and trucks engulfed in flames.
This latest attack came hours after the Israeli army confirmed that the Tarkumiya and Beitonia crossings "also function as inspection points for aid" designated for Gaza. Previously, aid convoys sent by Jordan on May 1 and May 7 had been attacked in the West Bank by "Israeli extremists," according to reports from Amman. International organizations claim that Israeli authorities impose strict restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
For about ten days, Israeli forces have controlled the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, thereby closing one of the main gateways for aid to the besieged territory.
