Netanyahu orders inspection of medicine trucks headed to Gaza: Israeli media

An Israeli media outlet said Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the army to inspect medicine trucks before they enter the Gaza Strip.

"Netanyahu directs the Israeli army to inspect the medicine trucks entering the Gaza Strip (including medications for detained Israelis and Palestinians)," according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

It said Netanyahu's decision came after facing criticism for his approval Wednesday to allow the entry of medications into the region without inspection by Israel.

Israeli Army radio quoted the government's coordinator of operations in the Palestinian territories, Ghassan Alian, who said, "5 trucks loaded with medicines will undergo security inspection at the Kerem Shalom crossing before entering the strip."

A controversy stirred Wednesday in Israel following a statement by Moussa Abu Marzouk, a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on X, where he said, "Among the conditions for delivering medications to Israeli hostages is to prohibit the inspection of medication shipments by the Israeli army."

Abu Marzouk noted that "the Red Cross submitted a request to provide medicine for prisoners of war with Hamas, including 140 varieties."

He explained that Hamas "outlined several conditions to finalize the agreement," including "bringing in more aid and food for the strip and preventing the inspection of medication shipments by the Israeli army."

"France requested to provide medication, but we rejected it due to our lack of trust in the French government and its supportive stance towards the Israeli occupation. We requested medication from our brothers in Qatar, and they graciously agreed," he said.

Extremist right-wing Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, later urged Netanyahu to cease attempts to evade responsibility.

Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced on Tuesday the success of Qatar's mediation in collaboration with France.

The agreement reached between Israel and Hamas includes the entry of medicine and a shipment of humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the most affected areas, in exchange for delivering necessary medications to Israeli hostages in the Strip.

Israel alleges that Hamas has been holding nearly 136 Israelis in Gaza since Oct. 7.

Hamas insists on a humanitarian pause in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages in its custody.

Since Oct. 7, the Israeli army has been conducting a devastating war in Gaza, resulting in 24,448 deaths and 61,504 injuries as of Wednesday.

The conflict has led to the displacement of more than 85% -- approximately 1.9 million residents -- of the population in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian authorities and the United Nations.