COGAT has quietly published a list of the truckloads of humanitarian supplies transferred to the Rafah crossing (which is under Egyptian control) and through the other crossings into the Gaza Strip from 21 October 2023 to the end of May 2024.

COGAT, an acronym of “Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories”, is a department of Israel’s Defence Ministry responsible for facilitating humanitarian relief in the Gaza Strip and other activities relating to civilians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank (Judea and Samaria).

The list is the Israeli “manifest” providing details of the humanitarian supplies cleared for transfer each day into the Gaza Strip. It shows that large quantities of supplies were cleared for transfer via one or other crossing nearly every day between 21 October 2023 and 31 May 2024.

This data conflicts with a major allegation made by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan KC, in his public statement announcing that he had applied to the Court for warrants for the arrest of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The Prosecutor alleged that Israel imposed “a total siege over Gaza, that involved completely closing the three border crossing points, Rafah, Kerem Shalom and Erez, from 8 October 2023 for extended periods”.

The Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip was closed by Egypt between 9 and 20 October 2023. It was reopened on 21 October 2023 and remained open until 6 May 2024, but was closed again by Egypt on 7 May 2024 when Israel took control of the Gaza Strip side.

When the Rafah crossing was open on the Egyptian side, supplies were cleared by Israel at Nitzana (a crossing between Israel and Egypt) and then taken to the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing for transfer into the Gaza Strip.

According to the manifest, supplies were cleared at Nitzana for transfer to the Rafah crossing on each of the 200 days between 21 October and 6 May except most Saturdays and 12 other days.

The Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip was closed following the attacks on 7 October 2023, but was reopened on 12 December 2023, initially as an additional location for inspection of supplies to be transferred to the Rafah crossing, and then on 17 December 2023 for direct transfers from Israel into the Gaza Strip.

The Kerem Shalom terminal was also used to inspect supplies transferred from Israel into the Gaza Strip via an additional entry point called “Gate 96”.

Supplies were cleared at Kerem Shalom for transfer into the Gaza Strip on each of the 167 days between 17 December 2023 and 31 May 2024 except Saturdays and 19 other days.

Prior to 7 October 2023 the Erez crossing was for pedestrians only. It was seriously damaged in the Hamas attack. Israel repaired it and added an adjacent goods crossing which opened for humanitarian aid on 1 May 2024. Israel also built an additional crossing for humanitarian supplies called “Erez West”, which opened on 12 May 2024.

Supplies were cleared for transfer through one or other Erez crossing on each day in May 2024 apart from Saturdays and 6 other days. Some medical equipment was also transferred through the original Erez crossing on 17 April 2024.

Truckloads of water were transferred to the Rafah crossing and/or through other crossings into the Gaza Strip on 165 of the 225 days between 21 October 2023 and 31 May 2024. Fuel as also transferred regularly from 15 November 2023 onwards.

Jonathan Turner, Chief Executive of UK Lawyers for Israel, welcomed the publication of the data, observing: “It is very helpful to have this coherent list, which appears to confirm that a fundamental premise of the charges levied against Netanyahu and Gallant by the ICC Prosecutor is not true. We respectfully remind the Prosecutor of his obligations under Regulations of the ICC and the Code of Conduct of the English Bar to bring all relevant information to the attention of the Court, including information exonerating the accused. Indeed, we would invite him to withdraw his application for warrants for the arrest of Netanyahu and Gallant in the light of this and other information in the public domain.”