katzenberger#US #Senators Chris Van #Hollen and Jeff #Merkley
»said they saw a warehouse in #Rafah filled with material that had been rejected in inspection. It included #oxygen cylinders, gas-powered #generators, tents and medical kits used in delivering babies.
Aid workers told the senators the tents were refused because they included metal poles, and the medical kits because they included scalpels. Most solar-powered equipment appears to be barred — though it is vital in #Gaza«
https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-rafah-aid-us-senators-2bc2a3c5e5f8af8e2d3f0b7242c1a885
Cumbersome process and 'arbitrary' Israeli inspections slow aid delivery into Gaza, US senators say
A cumbersome process of Israeli inspections and other hurdles are slowing the entry of aid into Gaza. That's according to two U.S. senators after a visit to Egypt's Rafah crossing into the besieged territory. Hundreds of trucks are lined up at Rafah, sometimes waiting weeks to go through the process. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley say Israeli inspections reject items for vague, seemingly “arbitrary" reasons. The senators say a warehouse at Rafah was full of material rejected by inspectors, including tents, water testing equipment and medical kits. Israel's siege on Gaza allows only a trickle of aid into the territory, and the number of trucks entering has not risen significantly despite weeks of U.S. calls.