"There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza," a senior aid official - responsible for transporting aid trucks into the Strip - told Maariv on Tuesday.

"Every day, we transport about 400 trucks into Gaza," he said.

"In each convoy there are also trucks loaded with tents. Additional trucks bring diesel and fuel, but most of the trucks carry food products such as flour, legumes, semolina and other food products. We avoid bringing in meat, chicken, vegetables, and fruit products through Jordan due to restrictions by the Agriculture Ministry, but I assume they enter through the Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza."

"There is no shortage of any humanitarian equipment inside Gaza, some of the trucks are even bringing blankets and warm clothes to the residents of the Strip. We are also bringing in trucks loaded with medical equipment through the Jordan River crossing."

Another source in the security establishment emphasized that "approximately 4,200 trucks per week and 600 trucks per day have entered the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the agreement and the return of the abductees."

The senior official continued: "Hamas manages the distribution of aid within Gaza. It has specific groups within the population that are given higher priority and favoritism, but we are not responsible for what goes on once the aid is in the Strip."

PALESTINIANS RUSH to collect aid in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, earlier this week. In the absence of a well-constructed ‘day after’ plan for Gaza, it remains unlikely that any other player besides Qatar will step forward to shoulder the immense task of rebuilding the Strip, say the writers. (credit: MOHAMMED SALEM/REUTERS)
PALESTINIANS RUSH to collect aid in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, earlier this week. In the absence of a well-constructed ‘day after’ plan for Gaza, it remains unlikely that any other player besides Qatar will step forward to shoulder the immense task of rebuilding the Strip, say the writers. (credit: MOHAMMED SALEM/REUTERS)
"One of the things we are strict about, and prevent from entering Gaza, is tent pegs made of iron or aluminum. We only allow tents with wooden pegs to enter. This is to prevent the possibility of them being used to make rockets."

'No food shortage'

"It is impossible to claim that there is a humanitarian problem in Gaza in terms of the supply of goods," he concluded.

"The amount of food that enters Gaza every day is enormous. There is no hunger there, and there are no problems deriving from food shortages."

The senior official accused Hamas of creating an artificial crisis surrounding humanitarian aid and noted that despite the ongoing talks which are in crisis, over 120 trucks had been brought aid into the Strip since Tuesday morning, however, their entry was delayed by four hours due to an order from the political echelon.

Over 300 trucks are scheduled to leave for Gaza on Tuesday evening.