From a distance, it almost looked like a picnic, with mats spread out on the ground and provisions laid out against a wall, groups chatting and even a few children scampering among the adults. But who would come and walk on this dusty median strip, strewn with concrete blocks and wedged against the barbed-wire fence separating Israel from Egypt? On Sunday, February 18, the few hundred Israelis stationed at the Nitzana checkpoint had only one objective: to obstruct the passage of humanitarian aid trucks from Egypt to Gaza.
Their action, launched at the end of January under the name Tsav 9 (Tsav 8 is the alert code sent to Israeli army reservists in the event of mobilization), was initially focused on the Kerem Shalom border crossing, the only access still open between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Having become a military zone, the checkpoint was closed to them, but the demonstrators continued to sneak through on side roads, slowing down convoy traffic several times a week. On some days, they managed to hinder traffic almost completely. Lately, however, access to this strategic location has become much more difficult. Demonstrators have moved on to Nitzana, further south, where loads from Egypt undergo checks before reaching Kerem Shalom (Jordanian trucks are inspected directly at the border with Gaza).
This Sunday, there was not a single truck in sight at Nitzana. By 10 am, the large wire gates had been closed, to the applause of a small crowd occupying the entire vehicle area. The perimeter is also classified as a military zone, but the few soldiers present didn't bat an eyelash when they saw the protesters arrive. They came early in the morning, in their own cars or buses chartered for the occasion. Among them were many French-Israelis from Jerusalem and Netanya, some belonging to the organization Israel is Forever, otherwise known as "Mobilization of French-speaking Zionist Forces." There were people of all ages, secular and religious, often wrapped in large Israeli flags. Many of the men wore yarmulkes, while several women covered their hair with scarves.
They all share a conviction that they express unabashedly: According to them, aid destined for Gazan civilians – food, medicine or fuel – ends up largely in the hands of Hamas. "Up to 70% of these shipments are diverted, especially fuel oil, which is the lifeblood of the war," estimated Rachel Moore, who's part of Tsav 9. Shlomo Sarid, a secular 37 year old who spent several weeks in Gaza as a sniper after the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, is outraged at having seen Hamas fighters taking bags of food into the tunnels during the week-long truce between the Islamist organization and the Israeli army at the end of November 2023.
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