Deir el-Balah, Gaza – Behind every truck full of food, medicine or fuel is a logistics chain that keeps those vehicles running. But in Gaza, this chain has been disrupted by the Israeli genocide. Before the war, about 1,200 vehicles served Gaza’s transportation and aid needs.
Today, only a small number are operating, according to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, which follows the situation of humanitarian aid in the Strip. At least 150 vehicles have been damaged or destroyed, and many others are held together with a combination of repairs and parts from vehicles no longer in use. We followed mechanics and drivers in Gaza who were repairing each other’s trucks and draining fuel from damaged vehicles.
Tyres, oil and engines are in short supply. Mechanics and drivers say that the lack of supplies and spare parts adds to the challenge of keeping the limited number of working vehicles on the road. From the Rafah crossing, trucks carrying goods from Egypt arrive in Gaza.
They pass through inspection and enter the Strip, but the road to distribution centres and aid warehouses still lies ahead. The vehicles traverse either Salah al-Din Street or the Philadelphi Corridor (to the main coastal highway, al-Rashid Street). This means the aid has to pass through several points before reaching Gaza governorates, and every step of the way can be blocked due to the devastation in the enclave.
If a truck breaks down, its load is inaccessible. Another vehicle without tyres, obstructed by a breakdown or without fuel, will carry less cargo or be unable to move at all. Because of the reduced number of available vehicles, the strain on the remaining ones grows.
In addition to dangers posed by the siege and the lack of spare parts, aid drivers risk their lives. Naser Isleem, father of Ahmed Isleem, a Palestinian aid driver killed by Israeli forces while attempting to deliver assistance to Gaza, showed us photos and videos of his son with his wife and children. Ahmed’s journey has been among many to end in death, with drivers exposed to the dangers of Israeli forces and Israeli-backed militias.
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