Four trucks of emergency Irish supplies bound for Gaza remained in Jordan on Monday after Israel halted humanitarian aid supplies into the Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli move came as the first phase of the ceasefire brokered by international mediators expired on Saturday.
“Ireland’s emergency food and tents are currently in Jordan waiting to be transported to Gaza as soon as possible,” said the Department of Foreign Affairs in reply to questions.
The department did not comment on Israeli moves to block access to Gaza.
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Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government is demanding Hamas accept US plans to prolong the ceasefire. But the Islamist group has dismissed this as “cheap blackmail” akin to a “coup” on the truce.
“Ireland has funded four trucks of emergency food to be transported to Gaza and distributed to people by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation,” said the department.
[ Israel halts all aid into Gaza as it demands Hamas accepts new ceasefire planOpens in new window ]
“We have also arranged for 1,000 tents to be transported from the UN emergency stocks depot in Dubai to Jordan. These tents will be distributed to families in Gaza by the International Organisation for Migration.”
Minister for Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris has said that aid from Ireland and other countries being blocked was “extremely worrying”.
The aid would support 6,000 people, he said.
The ceasefire was brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. It took effect on January 19th and permits the flow of aid into the strip to benefit Gaza’s two million people with an average of about 600 trucks entering daily.
The deal paused 15 months of fighting between Hamas and Israel, allowing the release of 33 Israeli hostages for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
