Paul Adams,diplomatic correspondent
The war in Gaza is fought on multiple fronts.
One of them is aid.
Months after some Israelis began protesting aid trucks entering Gaza at the main Kerem Shalom crossing, fighting has moved to other key intersections, where rival activist groups have gone to great lengths to stop or protect aid convoys.
In recent weeks, social media has been flooded with images of aid trucks being blocked and looted.
Right-wing activists, including Jewish settlers living in the occupied West Bank, uploaded dozens of videos showing crowds, including some young children, throwing food on the ground and trampling aid boxes.
“It’s important to stop aid,” one activist said. “This is the only way we can win. This is the only way we can get the hostages back.
Many believe Gazans deserve nothing and that providing aid to Gaza will only prolong the war while Israeli hostages remain imprisoned.
In one video, a group of jubilant protesters danced in celebration on top of a looted truck.
In another photo, a trapped truck is on fire.
Other videos showed Israeli vigilantes stopping trucks in Jerusalem and demanding drivers produce documents proving they were not delivering aid to Gaza. Their faces were uncovered and they acted with seemingly total impunity.
In the West Bank, at least two drivers who were not delivering goods to Gaza were pulled from taxis and beaten.
Palestinian truck drivers said they were traumatized.
“I was scared to get to the border crossing,” Adel Amro told the BBC.
“I feared for my life.”
Mr Amro was transporting commercial purchases from the West Bank to Gaza when he was attacked. Other target drives are involved in transporting aid from Jordan, which must pass through the West Bank and Israel to reach Gaza.
“We are now taking smaller roads away from the main roads because we are worried about settler aggression,” he said.
AFPBut after a series of well-documented attacks, some Israelis are fighting back.
Peace activists have begun tracking their opponents’ movements on social media and ensuring their presence at key border crossings.
Members of Stand Together are now holding regular vigils at the Tarcumiya checkpoint where trucks enter Israel from the southern West Bank.
Takumia was one of the most dramatic recent attacks.
“The people of Gaza are starving and help should reach Gaza,” said Suf Patish, one of the founding members of Stand Together.
“Israeli society should say loud and clear that we reject these acts,” he said of recent attacks on convoys.
“You know, it’s not too demanding, as long as you don’t starve to death.”
The organization brings together Jews and Arabs from all over Israel.
For Nasser Odat, an Israeli Arab from Haifa, coming to Tarcumiya provided a chance to feel useful after more than seven months of helplessly watching the war in Gaza.
“I feel very empowered,” he said. “Now, I finally have something to help. Help these people who are starving.
As peaceful activists took refuge from the scorching sun under palm trees in the center of the roundabout, passing truckers waved and honked their horns in thanks.
A small group of right-wing demonstrators arrived, but Mr. Partish was far outnumbered by volunteers.
The two sides have different positions, and the discussion has become increasingly heated.
Police stood nearby, ready to separate the rival camps in the event of a clash.
Peace activists accuse police under the control of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, one of the most hardline members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, of doing nothing to stop the attack.
They said there was evidence settlers were receiving help from the authorities, noting that groups organizing attacks on aid trucks were briefed on seeking and receiving help from the police and army.
Getty Images“Many times, police are on the scene when an attack occurs, but no one urges them to take action,” Mr. Partish said.
“It’s very sad because police are supposed to abide by the law.”
As the truck drove by, two young women waved Israeli flags but made no attempt to stop traffic.
The pair, who requested anonymity and whose names are Ariel and Shira (pseudonyms), explained why they felt it was important to be present.
“Honestly, we hope we don’t have to have a lockdown,” Ariel said.
“I don’t like rummaging through things. It’s not one of my favorite hobbies. But we’d rather have that than have our friends and family die, because that’s what’s going to happen the longer the war drags on.
Both women recognized the potential for starvation in Gaza but were convinced that Hamas was stealing and hoarding aid rather than distributing it to those in need.
They are not concerned about the image of Israel shown in scenes of aid trucks being intercepted, looted and set on fire.
“It’s time to stop caring about what other people think,” Sheila said, “and take the necessary steps to protect my life and protect my family.”
Ariel is dismissive of the police.
“If they weren’t sure they could shut it down, they wouldn’t intervene,” she said. “They don’t start something that they can’t finish.”
