Tel Aviv, Aug. 14 -- Israel rejected accusations from more than 100 international aid organisations that it is blocking humanitarian assistance to Gaza, insisting it facilitates deliveries while Hamas seeks to exploit them. The allegations, made in a joint statement Thursday, claim many groups have been unable to deliver aid since March, when Israel introduced a new registration system requiring security vetting for Palestinian employees.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli body overseeing the transfer of goods into Gaza, called the claims "false," insisting that Israel facilitates aid entry while Hamas exploits the situation "to build military strength and tighten its control over the populat...