The State of Israel on Wednesday evening submitted its response to a petition being heard in the Supreme Court concerning the continued provision of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, amid ongoing fighting and international pressure to reduce harm to the civilian population.
In the document it submitted, the State demanded that the Supreme Court dismiss the petition, arguing that this is a security matter not subject to judicial intervention.
In its response, the State also revealed that during the 42 days of the ceasefire, as part of the hostage release deal, 25,200 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip.
The State also noted in its response that it is not violating international law by halting the transfer of humanitarian aid.
“The directive of the political echelon not to allow the entry of supplies into the Gaza Strip through the State of Israel at the current time is a directive based on clear political-security considerations,” it said.
The State added that “the efforts taken in terms of increasing humanitarian aid far exceed the scope required by the rules of international law. Therefore, under the current circumstances, and certainly in light of the significant quantities of supplies and goods that have been brought into the Strip in recent weeks, far beyond what is required under international law, which Israel continues to uphold, there is no basis for judicial intervention in a decision rooted at the heart of Israel’s security-diplomatic policy.”