Tel Aviv [Israel] August 28 (ANI/TPS): The Israel Defence Forces said Thursday that two new humanitarian aid distribution centres will be opened in southern Gaza in the coming days, bringing the total number of facilities in the Strip to five.
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, the move is part of efforts to expand food distribution "in accordance with the directives of the political echelon." The new sites will be managed by American civil society organisations in coordination with the US government.
"The establishment of two additional centers for distributing food and humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip will be completed in the coming days for the effort that the administration and the American foundation are leading in the Strip," the IDF said in a statement.
The military explained that the distribution centre in Gaza City's Tel al-Sultan neighbourhood will be replaced by the new southern complexes "in order to improve the response and the safety of the distribution."
Since late May, the IDF said, more than 2.3 million food packages have been delivered weekly to families in Gaza through the existing aid centres. The military stressed that it will continue to support the humanitarian operation through its Humanitarian Assistance Centre while safeguarding against diversion of supplies.
"The IDF will continue to facilitate a humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, while taking the utmost efforts necessary to ensure the orderly distribution of food to the residents of the Gaza Strip and to ensure that the humanitarian aid does not reach the hands of the terrorist organisation Hamas," the statement said.
Approximately 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead. (ANI/TPS)