Israelis attack troops who treated Palestinian driver whose truck was torched by settlers (2024)

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a phone call with Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, reinforced the "unquestionable necessity" of protecting civilians and ensuring the uninterrupted flow humanitarian aid before any potential military operation in Rafah, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

Gallant and Austin reviewed the latest efforts to secure the release of hostages held captive by Hamas, the Pentagon added.

The IDF Spokesperson says that a military force that arrived to treat a Palestinian truck driver whose truck was set on fire by settlers near the settlement of Kochav Hashahar was attacked by Israeli civilians. Two officers and a soldier sustained minor injuries, according to the military.

Dozens of Israeli settlers demonstrated late Thursday night in the West Bank against the transfer of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli security sources, the protestors are throwing stones at Palestinian vehicles.

One of the demonstrators was slightly injured by a car when, according to sources, the Palestinian driver veered toward a group of protestors and hit one before driving off. The IDF is treating the incident as an accidents and, according to one military source, the driver was trying to escape the group of protestors. Police and Border Police officers used stun grenades and teargas to try and disperse the Israeli protestors. One security source told Haaretz that police have made no arrests and are not currently in control of the situation.

Meanwhile, settlers set fire to a truck that they believed was carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip on Thursday night. The incident occurred near the West Bank settlement of Kochav Hashahar. The driver was moderately wounded and taken to hospital in Jerusalem for treatment.

In Israeli man demonstrating against the transfer of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip was slightly injured on Thursday night when he was hit by a vehicle in the West Bank. According to a security source, during a demonstration by several settlers at Tapuach Junction, a Palestinian driver veered off course, hit one of them and fled the scene.

At the same time, several settlers set fire to a truck near the settlement of Kochav Hashahar because they suspected it was delivering aid to the Gaza Strip. During the day, right-wing activists tried on several occasions to block trucks making their way to Gaza via the West Bank.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that South Africa was "presenting biased and false claims" that "rely on unreliable Hamas sources" in response to a case brought to the UN's top court accusing Israel of genocide on Thursday.

"Israel acts in accordance with international law and its humanitarian obligations," a statement from the Israeli foreign ministry said. "While implementing measures to minimize harm to civilians and civilian facilities."

The ministry called on the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, "to reject South Africa's appeal and to bring the abuse of the Court to an end."

Sirens sounded in Margaliot.

Spain has refused permission for an Israel-bound ship carrying arms to call at the southeastern port of Cartagena, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Thursday.

Albares confirmed reports that the Marianne Danica was carrying a cargo of arms to Israel and had requested permission to call at Cartagena on May 21.

He said refusing permission to dock in Spanish ports was consistent with Spain's policy to ban the exports of all arms to Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October.

A total of 365 trucks carrying relief supplies passed through the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings on Thursday to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

The shipments included 38 trucks with flour for the bakeries of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Gaza, an IDF spokesperson reported.

On Wednesday, 76,000 liters (20,077 U.S. gallons) of fuel had already been delivered for the generators of these bakeries.

Also on Thursday, 17 Jordanian trucks carrying humanitarian aid were transferred to Gaza, the army said on its Telegram channel.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) wrote on X that it was "almost impossible" to distribute aid within the Gaza Strip due to fuel shortages, disrupted telecommunications and ongoing fighting.