Morocco sends humanitarian aid to Gaza in unprecedented move

In a bid to provide essential support amid ongoing challenges in Gaza, Morocco said it dispatched 40 tons of aid for it, marking a novel approach to delivering much-needed assistance to the region.

The aid was delivered through Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday and was later handed over to the Palestinian Red Crescent at the Kerem Shalom Crossing, a point of entry between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

The Moroccan foreign ministry noted in a statement that Morocco is the first country to transport humanitarian aid via this unprecedented land route, as aid trucks entering Gaza have always used routes through Egypt, with limited access through Israel’s Kerem Shalom Crossing since its reopening in December.

Confirming the delivery of the aid, an Israeli source on Tuesday said Morocco’s decision to send aid through Israel signifies a shift in humanitarian logistics, adding that the move was made possible with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

The relationship between Morocco and Israel was formalized through the US-brokered normalization pact known as the Abraham Accords in 2020.

The war started with the October 7 attack that resulted in approximately 1,139 deaths reported in Israel mostly civilians and 31,184 people killed in Gaza, predominantly women and children, according to the health ministry.