Palestinian lorry drivers delivering aid to Gaza have described “barbaric” scenes after their vehicles were blocked and vandalised by Israeli settlers, preventing humanitarian supplies reaching the territory where much of the population face imminent starvation.
Drivers and contractors who were targeted on Monday at the Tarqumiya checkpoint in the occupied West Bank also said Israeli soldiers escorting the convoy did nothing to stop the attack.
The incident sparked international condemnation after videos emerged on social media that appeared to show Israeli settlers throwing boxes of much-needed supplies on the ground and at least one vehicle being set ablaze.
Yazid al-Zoubi, 26, said between 50 and 60 lorries had set out in the convoy.
“We were carrying oil, sugar and other things and driving from the Tarqumiya crossing,” he said. “We left in a convoy with an army vehicle in front of us and an army vehicle behind us, and we took a special army road that civilians could not cross. Suddenly, after 20 minutes on the road, near the crossing, we were surprised by at least 400 settlers. They attacked us. The rest of the drivers and I escaped from the vehicles after the settlers starting throwing stones at us.’’
Zoubi said the situation escalated when the settlers started breaking the windscreens of the lorries and piercing the tyres, then climbed on to the vehicles and threw packages of food into the road.
Aid agencies have described famine conditions in parts of Gazathat they have said have been caused by Israeli restrictions on aid entering the Palestinian territory. Humanitarian officials say the population of Gaza needs at least 500 daily lorryloads of food, fuel and other essentials but have received a fraction of that amount.
Zoubi said that during Monday’s attack the Israeli soldiers escorting the convoy stood back and watched as the settlers rampaged.
“We are shocked and surprised that the army did not provide us with any kind of protection,” he said. “Even though they were present and watching what was happening. The army was at the service of the settlers.’’
Zoubi said the drivers fled the scene but that when they returned later to retrieve their belongings, they were attacked by the settlers, some of whom were armed.
‘’At that point the army gathered us and ordered us to raise our hands on the walls,” he said. “The settlers were free to terrorise us. I have never been attacked so brutally before.
“The state of terror I experienced is indescribable. Even now I have nightmares at night. My psychological state is broken, I cannot think properly, I can’t sleep. I cannot work. We are not smugglers. We agreed to transport goods legally from the crossing under the watch and supervision of the Israeli authorities.”
Footage of the incident appears to show the Israeli soldiers taking no action against the settlers.
Haitham abu Khairo was also part of the aid convoy and the owner of one the lorries vandalised. He said he had lost approximately 250,000 Israeli shekels (£53,700) in the attack, which came after several trouble-free trips transporting aid for Gaza across the West Bank and Israel from the Jordanian border.
“I managed to escape but what happened is serious. The Israeli government must punish those who commit such an act with the most severe punishment. Because it will affect the country’s economy in the future, as many truck drivers will leave their jobs to ensure their safety,” he said.
The violence has prompted dozens of Palestinian drivers to refuse to transport supplies to Gaza. Adel Amer, a member of a hauliers’ union based in the West Bank, told Reuters about 15 lorries had been damaged in the attack and that the total damage amounted to about £1.6m.
Monday’s attack sparked strong condemnation from Israel’s allies. The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, described the incident as a “total outrage” while the UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, said it was “appalling”.
This month, the UK and EU imposed sanctions against Israeli settlers including some accused of violence towards Palestinians on the West Bank. The US has imposed sanctions on a handful of individuals and organisations linked to attacks on Palestinian civilians, with measures first announced in February then expanded twice in March and April.
The Israeli police said the incident, in which several people were arrested, was being investigated.
The Israeli military said it had worked throughout the seven-month war “to allow and facilitate the entry and delivery of extensive humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, out of its commitment to international humanitarian law”.
It added: “Each incident involving humanitarian aid convoys, facilities or personnel is being thoroughly examined, including those mentioned in the report, and according to the examination’s findings, lessons are learned and implemented in order to prevent reoccurrence of such incidents and if so required, command, disciplinary and other measures are taken against individuals responsible.”
Monday’s attack was claimed by a group calling itself Order 9, which said it had acted to stop supplies reaching Hamas and accused the Israeli government of giving “gifts” to the Islamist group.
It was not the first time that Israeli settlers have tried to stop the flow of aid to Gaza. Last week, demonstrators blocked a road near the desert town of Mitzpe Ramon to protest against the delivery of aid lorries into Gaza.
This year, there were frequent demonstrations at crossings from Israel into Gaza, which hindered aid shipments into the territory. In March, the international court of justice ordered Israel to allow unimpeded access of food aid into Gaza.
• The second video embedded in this article was amended on 16 May 2024. An earlier version said that a convoy of around 50 trucks carrying oil, sugar and other supplies was attacked by Israeli soldiers; this should have said Israeli settlers.
