The Biden administration imposed sanctions against an Israeli extremist group for obstructing humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
Washington said in a Friday statement that Tzav 9 activists had repeatedly attempted to prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid over several months, using such measures as blocking roads along the route from Jordan to the Gaza Strip. In addition, in May, members of the group looted and set fire in the West Bank to two lorries carrying humanitarian aid that was on its way to civilians inside Gaza.
“For months, individuals from Tzav 9 have repeatedly sought to thwart the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, including by blockading roads, sometimes violently, along their route from Jordan to Gaza, including in the West Bank,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Friday.
“They also have damaged aid trucks and dumped life-saving humanitarian aid onto the road. On May 13, 2024, Tzav 9 members looted and then set fire to two trucks near Hebron in the West Bank carrying humanitarian aid destined for men, women, and children in Gaza,” he added.
The State Department said: “The provision of humanitarian assistance is vital to preventing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from worsening and to mitigating the risk of famine. We will not tolerate acts of sabotage and violence targeting this essential humanitarian assistance. We will continue to use all tools at our disposal to promote accountability for those who attempt or undertake such heinous acts.”
The Department encouraged Israel to take up the issue, since it is solely the responsibility of the Israeli government to ensure the security of humanitarian convoys. As of yet, it remains insufficiently clear how the imposition of sanctions would affect individuals linked to Tsav 9 and how many of those aligned with its actions might be affected.
Tzav 9 Movement responce
The Tzav 9 movement is a group of demobilised reservists, hostage families and settlers who lead protests to disrupt the progress of critical humanitarian aid convoys in Kerem Shalom. The group’s name means “Order 9” and is a reference to emergency mobilisation notices calling for reservists.
The group also reacted to the sanctions imposed, noting that the sanctions were “shocking,” and “go against any American and liberal values.” The group insists in its statement, without any evidence, that Hamas aid is funnelling humanitarian aid intended for civilians in Gaza. In turn, US humanitarian aid organisations say they are not aware of any diversion of humanitarian aid by Hamas.
In addition, the movement also accused the Biden administration of acting “against the families of hostages who fight to get their loved ones back from Hamas’s hands,” saying “it is a fatal blow to the families who aim to stop the aid to the enemy Hamas in time of war.”
President Joe Biden signed an executive order earlier this year authorising sanctions against those who cause violence in the West Bank. The order used to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinians in recent months. The matter is particularly sensitive to the public as the UN says more than 50,000 children need treatment for acute malnutrition. In addition, more than 1 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip lack clean drinking water and face starvation.
