Anand says Ottawa’s trucks of humanitarian aid ready to enter Gaza Strip

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Ottawa has trucks of aid ready to reach desperate Palestinians in Gaza, and is counting on Israel to allow them through.

Anand says Jordan, which borders Israel and the West Bank, has allowed Canada to pre-position aid, until Israel allows it to enter the Gaza Strip.

She says she spoke with her Israeli counterpart Friday “to seek assurances that trucks carrying Canadian aid would be allowed to enter Gaza.”

Since then, Israel has said it would allow for some humanitarian corridors to be established, so that United Nations groups can deliver aid, as well as possible airdrops.

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The decision came after months of experts warning that Israel’s tight restrictions on aid risk creating a famine, and after hundreds of Palestinians have been killed while trying to seek food at sites established by Israel.

Israel has downplayed reports by numerous humanitarian groups operating on the ground of starvation deaths, and claims the UN has failed to distribute aid, though UN agencies say Israel still isn’t allowing in enough food and fuel.