Israel says 322 aid trucks entered Gaza on Sunday, highest number since war started

The Defense Ministry body that coordinates Israeli activity in Palestinian territories said that 322 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the highest one-day total since the beginning of the war. The Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) emphasized that Israel places no limit to aid that can enter the Strip, but the boost in transfers Sunday appears to be a result of mounting international pressure on Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the enclave. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew toured the IDF’s new Humanitarian Coordination and Deconfliction Cell on Sunday, which was established earlier this week as part of a series of steps to improve the situation of Palestinians in Gaza. “As we work to achieve the goals of this war, namely the destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages, we recognize the importance of facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Gallant said during the tour. “I would like to express my appreciation to the US administration for their longstanding support during this war, and for their leadership on the humanitarian issue as it pertains both to the hostage issue and to aid being delivered to Gaza,” Gallant said. The United Nations on Saturday said Israel had authorized the opening of 20 bakeries in the northern Gaza Strip and a waterline to supply the area as part of the fresh measures.