Trucks delivering supplies to Gaza began arriving at the Rafah border crossing from Egypt on Saturday, according to an official of the Egyptian Red Crescent and a security source.
Humanitarian aid entering Gaza: On the fifteenth day of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the militant organisation that controls the Palestinian enclave of 2.4 million Palestinians, Egyptian official television showed a number of vehicles entering the gate.
Since the unexpected attack by Hamas on October 7, Israel has been bombing Gaza.
Israel has imposed a complete siege on Gaza and shut off the flow of gasoline, food, and water, leading to ongoing shortages.
The sole entry point into Gaza that is not under Israeli control is Rafah, where Israel decided to permit aid from Egypt after a plea from its major ally, the United States.
An AFP correspondent reported that twenty trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent, which is in charge of distributing supplies from various UN agencies, arrived at the Egyptian terminal.
“An AFP reporter on the Palestinian side of the bridge observed 36 empty trailers making their way through the terminal and onto the Egyptian side, where they were to be loaded with incoming supplies.”
“Observers noticed two UN cars, two Red Cross vans, and four ambulances driving towards the terminal.”
Humanitarian aid has been arriving in cargo flights and vehicles on the Egyptian side of Rafah for days, but none has yet reached Gaza.
In order to supervise the planning for the relief distribution, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres went to the Egyptian side of the border on Friday.
He said, “These trucks are more than just transportation; they are a lifeline.” For a great number of individuals in Gaza, they mean the difference between life and death.