Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories rejected 250 tons of aid for Gaza because of disagreements over its content, an Italian organization involved in last month's international flotilla said on Thursday.
Italy's Music for Peace NGO said it collected aid, including food, medical supplies, and educational material, as part of a mobilization in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which attempted to break Israel's wartime naval blockade on Gaza.
About 40 tons of aid were loaded on boats that joined the flotilla from Italy, and which were intercepted by Israel with the rest of the convoy. Another 250 tons was intended to be delivered to Gaza via Jordan, but has not yet departed the Italian port of Genoa, the charity said.
"They told us that with a few phone calls, in three hours, the aid would have been in. Well, we've been trying for four weeks, and the end result is that we have been refused," Stefano Rebora, head of the NGO, said in a press conference.
Speaking in the Italian parliament, Rebora said one of the sticking points was a request to remove high-energy food products, such as biscuits and honey, from the shipment, a demand his organization refused to comply with.
Rebora also said there were disagreements with Israeli authorities over the registration and accreditation of the Italian charity and its local agents.
COGAT rejected claims it blocks high-energy food products, and took aim at "certain international organizations (who) falsely portray Israel as obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid."
An Israeli military official said refusal by some international organizations to cooperate with a registration process raised "serious concerns" about their intentions and possible links to the Hamas terrorist organization.
A hostage-ceasefire deal has been reached
Israel and Hamas signed a Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal on Thursday for the first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war in the Palestinian territory.
The plan includes provisions to increase aid.