Israeli military officials provide detailed introduction to Israeli humanitarian operations in Gaza

An Israeli military official gave a detailed introduction to activities related to Kogat and gave reporters a detailed introduction to Israel’s humanitarian infrastructure.

Global media coverage and report from the Integrated Food Security Stage Classification (IPC) warns of a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “The famine is currently playing the worst case in the Gaza Strip,” the IPC said, predicting death unless action is taken immediately.

However, behind these horrible headlines is another reality: Israel’s efforts to provide food, water, electricity and medical assistance to Gaza civilians during the war.

An Israeli military official detailed activities related to government activities on the territory (COGAT) recently provided detailed briefings to international journalists, including the media community, to announce Israel’s humanitarian infrastructure since the beginning of the war.

Since October 7, nearly 100,000 aid trucks have entered Gaza, carrying food, medical supplies, sanitary products and other essentials. “It’s not just a truck coming in,” the official said. “You have to use various procedures and inspections to create entry points. You have to implement the humanitarian route.”

Israel maintains several entry points, including Kerem Shalom, Gate 147 near Kisufim, Gate 96 in the Netzarim corridor and Sikkim Crossing to the north. Aid also arrives through the Rafa crossing in Egypt, the Alanbe Bridge in Jordan and the Ashdod port in Israel.

Coordinate with international partners

Planning the truck operation requires approximately 60-70 partners, from UN agencies and non-governmental organizations to medical missions. “It’s like a band,” the official said.

The electrical infrastructure was partially restored by Israel when Hamas bombed 10 power lines at the beginning of the war. One of the original lines restored features, power facilities such as the Al Mawasi desalination plant. The UAE-funded pipeline project further supports water supply, which attracted from Egypt and expanded to Southern Gaza through Israeli and Palestinian engineering cooperation.

Telecom in Gaza continues to operate due to coordination between Israel and Palestinian providers. Fuel delivery, stopped when Hamas controlled reserves were sufficient, and since then, the use of the United Nations and NGOs has been restored to support generators, hospitals and aid fleets.

The official said the hospital has been repeatedly used as a Hamas military asset. He noted: “In the European Gaza hospital, we eliminated Mohamed Sinwar, who was hiding in the hospital. Hostage holding.

To protect civilians from access to care, Israel helped establish 14 field hospitals during the war. These are run by countries and organizations including the UAE, Jordan, the Red Cross and Médecins. Israel coordinates inspections and transfers of thousands of dual-use medical items, such as oxygen filters and X-ray machines.

Thousands of patients have also been evacuated from Canada’s medical field. Nowadays, most people leave Israel using land border crossings or Ramon Airport flights. Aircraft from the UAE and the EU (including Romanian military aircraft) have transported patients to hospitals abroad.

The official acknowledged that many health experts predicted serious public health consequences in Gaza nearly two years after the war. “You would think that in a year and nine months, there will be a disease outbreak,” he said, noting that humanitarian organizations issued similar warnings early on.

“But that hasn’t happened yet,” he continued. Such concerns are the possibility of polio reappearance. According to the official, Israeli authorities coordinated with the World Health Organization and UNICEF to carry out targeted vaccination campaigns to prevent its spread. “A lot of vaccines were brought in and there was a vaccination campaign against children,” he said. “We solved this.”

The effort seems to have paid off. No major outbreak occurred. “What is that,” he added, emphasizing the initiative in the reaction. He also noted that vaccine shipments continue: “Just the day before, thousands of vaccines entered Gaza.

Humanitarian monitoring and planning

Work weekly with UN agencies to assess humanitarian conditions in Gaza and measure indicators such as food availability, sanitation, infrastructure and health care services. These assessments draw on reports of international partners, intelligence and direct communication with Gazans.

Two key coordination mechanisms were used: the Joint Coordination Committee (a “Action Room” where IDF officials, NGOs and United Nations agencies manage day-to-day assistance and conduct separate day-to-day programme meetings with the United Nations.

More than 17,000 humanitarian movements in Gaza have been coordinated with the IDF to transport supplies and employees safely. “There are 250 international staff in Gaza that need to go from hotel to hospital. How do you escort the convoy from Kerem Shalom to Deir Al-Balah?” the official asked, highlighting the difficulties.

Despite the massive access to Gaza, distribution is not always followed. “The responsibility for collecting and distributing aid is for humanitarian organizations.” If aid sits unharvested, it will destroy.

He said bottlenecks often stem from logistical challenges, such as limited vehicle or route changes, rather than blockages in Israel. “There are hundreds of trucks in Gaza. Many trucks don’t own it. It’s not about bureaucracy, it’s about safety,” he said. “It’s a war zone. You can’t just send convoys through places where terrorists operate.”

Kogat also promoted humanitarian aid air conditioners for foreign military. The Israeli Air Force cleared the airspace for these operations, which were carried out by countries such as the UAE. Officials acknowledged that while “nothing replaces trucks”, airdrops can reach high demand areas where ground combat cuts.

To increase access, Kogat also implemented daily humanitarian moratoriums and designated corridors for military activities. These areas can make civilians and aid delivery safer even without prior coordination.

In the Q&A section of the briefing, the Media Line raises a question that reflects many international issues: “Many media are drawing a picture of hunger. How do you respond. Why is such a comprehensive briefing not being proposed more broadly? Will it be presented more broadly? Is Hamas having difficulty in embedding the embedded goods? Is it just something to cook?

The official rejected the idea of hunger as a policy. “Hunger is a deliberate action that produces hunger,” he said. “What we have been doing – every day of the past year and 10 months, has been a huge humanitarian effort.”

He noted that the war was directed at Hamas, not the population, even though Hamas was embedded in civilian areas including schools, mosques and hospitals. “It’s not like a hurricane in Haiti or an earthquake in Turkey. Once it’s over, you’re dealing with land and logistics. Here, it’s an active war zone and Hamas doesn’t comply with anything,” he said.

Regarding food acquisition, he said the types of aid that can be accessed are “no restrictions” and that delivery includes not only flour, pasta, rice and beans, but also oils, fruits and vegetables. “You may be surprised, but there is agriculture in Gaza, too.” Despite the deteriorating conditions, local crops are still being grown and the market is still operating.

Allocation remains a challenge, especially in conflict zones, but Israel has implemented multiple mechanisms to address it. In addition to distribution sites in southern Gaza, Israel also supports the delivery of the United Nations and NGOs to more remote areas and opens the Sikkim border crossing to serve the north. “It’s an effort to try and reach all areas,” he said.

Medical and nutritional needs also shape the coordination of Israel. One example involves blood donation: when shortages, Israel facilitates delivery from the West Bank to Gaza.

The official also criticized the inefficiency in some international organizations. He said, for example, the World Health Organization (WHO) relies heavily on Egypt-based logistics. Israel intervened when the truck was trapped in the West Bank. “We had special coordination from the West Bank to Gaza,” he said.

Additional efforts include dealing with baby food shortages. “If we learn in the conversation that there is a need to improve… we talk to anyone we need in UN agencies and NGOs and work to get in.”

According to the official, aid transport often exceeds international requirements. “We have a lot of data on aid that even exceeds the requirements,” he said.

He stressed that aid coordination is not only Israel’s responsibility. “Sometimes people forget that,” he said. “Israel is not the only one here with obligations. There are more actors in this court.”

Recent improvements include resumption of fuel delivery, activation of UAE’s desalination pipeline and approval of backup parts and telecom equipment required by the United Nations.

“The war is against Hamas,” he said. “Not the population.”

Although Israeli critics accuse it of its weapon of hunger, officials insist that it is the opposite: “We comply with international humanitarian law, not just because it is necessary, but because it reflects our values.”