One of the greatest ironies surrounding last summer’s flare-up were the countless acts of kindness shown by Israel toward the Gaza Strip’s civilian population, despite ongoing efforts made by their Hamas taskmasters to make Palestinian lives miserable. Some food for thought in this context: 

It was Israel that delivered 1,772 tons of medicine and medical equipment to Gaza; Israel that shipped 3,270 truckloads of food; and Israel that sent 5,637 trucks -- carrying over 120,000 tons of humanitarian supplies -- into the Gaza Strip. 

Palestinian lives were touched by Israel in other ways too. Take, for example, the 402 people who left the Strip for specialized medical treatment unrelated to the hostilities. Heart treatments were provided to about a dozen Palestinian children at a Tel Aviv hospital. 

Our care for Palestinians in Gaza did not end with last summer’s conflict. The truth is, Israel -- which completely evacuated the Gaza Strip a decade ago -- is among the few countries that continually provide Gazans with their most basic needs. For example, more than 1.2 million tons of construction materials have entered Gaza since the conclusion of last summer’s conflict, and Israel has recently allocated approximately $10 million to expand its transportation capacity. 

Despite major security risks, Israel is committed to improving the standard of living for millions of Gazans. To help boost the economy, we have exported 620 tons of agricultural goods and more than 3,700 tons of industrial goods since October 2014. Israel has doubled the amount of water it supplies to the Strip from 5 million to 10 million cubic meters (2.6 billion U.S. gallons) annually, and has coordinated the movement of 500-plus doctors and medical teams from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank for continuing education projects and conferences. 

It is evident that during last summer’s conflict, Israel not only met but far exceeded the international standard for the laws of armed conflict. Hamas, interested only in fortifying the military garrison it has created at the expense of millions of innocent civilians, cannot make the same claim. 

Actually, our concern for the well-being of Gaza’s Palestinians is not unique. Indeed, Israel is, historically, a major contributor to humanitarian efforts worldwide. 

Close to home, Israel has played a major humanitarian role in Syria’s civil war. Since the outbreak in 2011, the Syrian regime -- backed by Iran and Hezbollah -- has actively victimized thousands of its own citizens. Israel, on the other hand, has received and treated an estimated 2,000 refugees at its civilian and military facilities. Furthermore, an Israeli non-governmental organization has been providing similar assistance to these refugees beyond our borders.​

Farther away, Israel was one of the first countries to provide assistance to Nepal following the earthquake in late April. Only days after the devastation, Israel dispatched a 260-member team -- the world’s largest -- providing 95 tons of aid and medical supplies, to assist in the relief effort. 

When the international fight against Ebola in West Africa reached its height in late 2014, Israel stepped up with the largest per capita contribution of any country. To this, the U.S. fund for UNICEF applauded our support, stating that it “could not have come at a more critical time.” 

Social justice and goodwill, near and far, are integral to our nation’s character -- it doesn’t matter whether in Gaza, Nepal, or anywhere else. For generations, our people have been instilled with the principle of Tikkun Olam, or “healing the world.” It is a tenet of the Jewish faith, and it is the policy of the Jewish state. We have been at it for 67 years, and have no intention of stopping now -- no matter what adversity we face.

Yehuda Yaakov is Israel's Consul General to New England.