Even as Palestinians continue to suffer under escalating Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip, millions of dollars have flowed from the US for evacuees and reserve troops in Israel. Standing Together, an Israeli organization, has launched a campaign for Israelis evacuated from conflict zones and 330,000 reservists called up for the war in Gaza, one of the most densely populated places in the world. US and Israeli flags are visible at the entrance of the organization’s donation tent in the illegal Jewish settlement of Mevo Horon, visited by an Anadolu correspondent, in the occupied West Bank. Several settlers armed with automatic weapons stand guard around the tent in the absence of Israeli troops, who have been transferred to other areas amid the current escalation. Troops regularly come to the tents to collect boxes filled with donated materials that volunteers sort inside. Mobile washing machines, barbers at front Members of the organization have said that since a surprise attack by Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza, they have been flooded with donations and support. Surprised by the deluge, they put up a large tent in the settlement to store the donated materials as the project grew The aid included new clothes, electronic devices, and cell phones for Israelis evacuated from areas surrounding Gaza and near the Lebanese border in northern Israel, while movie nights were held and “weekend packages” were provided for families of deployed soldiers. In addition, officials with Standing Together said they were contacted by soldiers going to the front to ask for materials like coats of their size, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving kits, water bottles, hats, and others. Millions of dollars of this support came from the US, particularly from the Jewish community there, from both individuals and companies, they said, adding that donations even included mobile washing machines, ice cream trucks, and barbering services for soldiers. Eli Rosenfeld, who works at the association, told Anadolu that he would also go to the front as a soldier, and that they had sent aid to 70 units in a single day, while preparing aid packages for hundreds or even thousands of soldiers for three weeks. Expressing that Israel was right now at its strongest in perhaps the past 10 years, Rosenfeld said he had desired this level of unity in the country for a long time. However, he declined to comment on the humanitarian toll of the war, saying: “I don’t get into these issues. I’m a soldier, I’m going to the front tomorrow. I was volunteering here. I’m going south.” 237 aid trucks for Gaza The Israeli army has been subjecting the Gaza Strip to an unrelenting bombardment campaign since Oct. 7. So far, 1.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has a population of about 2.3 million, have been displaced due to the intense attacks. The attacks have killed at least 8,796 Palestinians, including more than 5,000 women and children. The Israeli death toll stands at more than 1,538 Israelis. So far, a total of 237 trucks carrying humanitarian aid have entered the Gaza Strip, which has been under intensified blockade, due to restrictions imposed by Israel since Oct. 7. As Israel does not allow fuel to enter, power plants in the region are not working. Due to lack of fuel, water treatment plants, bakeries, and hospitals where hundreds of thousands of people have taken refuge are also forced to restrict health services. The UN and international aid organizations have warned of humanitarian catastrophe if aid and fuel are not allowed in the region, which may face epidemic disease outbreaks due to the lack of clean water, hunger due to food shortages, and the interruption of healthcare services in hospitals which will be unable to run their generators.
Source: Anadolu Agency