109 martyred, aid trucks stranded as 'Israel' renews aggression

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Dec 2023 17:23

Rafah has served as the sole entry point for aid into Gaza since "Israel" initiated a siege and bombardment of the coastal Palestinian territory.

Palestinians look at smoke following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

109 Palestinians were martyred on Friday as "Israel" recommenced its genocide on Friday, Gaza's health ministry reported on Friday.

This comes as the temporary humanitarian truce expired in the earlier hours of Friday.

Humanitarian Aid Faces Challenges at Egypt-Gaza Border

Meanwhile, humanitarian aid found itself stuck close to the border between Egypt and Gaza as "Israel" recommenced its aggression, sources report.

"The bombardment has been going on since seven in the morning. There are planes and artillery and we haven't moved," one of the aid truck drivers told AFP.

According to Egyptian security sources and a representative from the Red Crescent, trucks carrying aid and fuel ceased their entry from Egypt. UN officials characterized the renewed hostilities as "catastrophic" and expressed uncertainty about the ongoing delivery of aid.

Rafah has served as the sole entry point for aid into Gaza since "Israel" initiated a siege and bombardment of the coastal Palestinian territory.

Al Arish airport in Sinai has been receiving international flights tasked with delivering shipments of aid. Convoys of trucks from Cairo have also been transporting aid to the affected region.

Truck Delays and Inspection Bottlenecks

Since October 21, a system required aid trucks to undergo inspections at the Al-Awja and Nitzana crossings along Egypt's border with the Israeli-occupied territories. Subsequently, they had to return to Rafah to complete the delivery of their cargo. This round trip, spanning over 80 kilometers, has been cited by aid workers and Egyptian officials as a cause of bottlenecks in the aid delivery process.

Egyptian truck drivers reported experiencing significant delays as they awaited inspections and scanning of goods, which were supervised by Israeli security personnel at Al-Awja.

"All the obstacles are there because they are the ones controlling the movement of goods," another truck driver told AFP. "We enter the crossing and wait for four or five days until the inspection is completed," he said.

Lengthy Delays and Control by 'Israel'

The UN has been calling for the opening of the "Kerem Shalom" crossing near Rafah by "Israel", a crossing that handled substantial quantities of goods before the outbreak of the war. However, "Israel," citing concerns about aid potentially benefiting the resistance, has consistently refused to open it.

During the truce, approximately 200 aid trucks were permitted to enter Gaza daily, more than double the pre-truce average but less than the pre-war levels of up to 500 trucks daily.

Before the truce, Egyptian truck drivers faced challenges unloading at Rafah, with goods transferred to another truck for distribution in Gaza, sometimes interrupted by fuel shortages or bombardments.

Some trucks, during the truce, were able to drive directly from the Egyptian side into Gaza.

As the aggression resumed, truck drivers anticipated potential delays, noting the need for security clearance for the numerous trucks already at Al-Awja, potentially causing extended wait times.