Israel allows over 200 Palestinians to leave Gaza, continues humanitarian aid delivery

Israel authorized the exit of more than 200 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip on Monday, December 15, primarily individuals with dual nationality or valid visas, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said. 

COGAT is the Defense Ministry body responsible for coordinating civilian activities in the Palestinian territories.

The departures took place via the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel, followed by transit through the Allenby Bridge into Jordan and onward to other countries. The operation was carried out in response to requests from foreign governments and the United Nations.

COGAT emphasized that the number of people permitted to leave Gaza depends solely on the willingness of third countries to accept them. Israel does not impose a numerical limit on departures, provided prior agreement is obtained from the destination country.

All individuals leaving Gaza are subject to thorough security checks to ensure that no one wanted for terrorist activities is allowed to exit the territory.

In parallel, COGAT confirmed that humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip, rejecting claims that recent delays were the result of deliberate Israeli restrictions. The agency attributed recent slowdowns to severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall.

According to COGAT, nearly 310,000 tents and tarpaulins have recently been delivered to Gaza, along with approximately 100,000 pallets of winter equipment and sanitary supplies. These shipments have been approved and are awaiting final coordination with international organizations.

“We will continue to facilitate humanitarian aid and emergency winter responses in coordination with our partners,” COGAT said, referring to operations conducted alongside the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) established under the Gaza agreement.