Third aid convoy crosses Rafah border into Gaza
3 Min Read
A dozen trucks crossed to Gaza, bringing the total to around 49 aid trucks.
-
People on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing watch as a convoy of lorries carrying humanitarian aid crosses to the Gaza Strip (AFP)
Reports confirm that the third convoy of aid trucks has crossed the Rafah border from Egypt to deliver to Gaza.
This comes after the first 20 aid trucks crossed into Gaza on Saturday, and another 17 entered yesterday, bringing the total to 37 trucks so far.
Agencies stated that over a dozen trucks crossed over, bringing number of aid trucks to at least 49.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Cairo reported last week that approximately 100 trucks carrying 1,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid are waiting to enter from Egypt into the Gaza Strip.
Too little, too late?
As part of the 20-truck convoy that was transported through the Rafah border crossing, the United Nations Children's Fund announced that it had provided around 44,000 bottles of water to Gaza; a quantity that would be enough for 22,000 people for a single day.
“The people of Gaza need a commitment for much, much more—a continuous delivery of aid to Gaza at the scale that is needed,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Cairo "Peace Summit".
Read more: Guterres from Rafah crossing: Aid trucks need to move to Gaza promptly
"Israel" has cut off water, food, and energy supplies to the Strip, which has made life unbearable for more than 2 million Gazans and has left over 4,000 martyrs. Thus, a glaring question arises: What will aid trucks do to a besieged population in the world's largest "open-air prison"?
Supplies, including food, medication, water purification equipment, hygiene items, and blankets, have been accumulating at El Arish airport in Egypt's Sinai region. The airport expanded its capacity by opening an additional landing strip to manage the influx of aid deliveries.
Humanitarian aid destined for Palestinians faces uncertainty, with growing concerns about the deteriorating conditions for the population trapped in the besieged Strip amid non-stop hysteric bombardment.
Cairo is facing increased pressure to allow Palestinians to flee into Egypt, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday that the forced displacement of the Gazans would lead to a "second Nakba."
An "accidental" strike on heated border crossing
Israeli media reported that an Egyptian position near the Karem Abu Salem area on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip was struck by Israeli fire.
The Israeli occupation announced it opened an investigation, claiming it happened “by mistake.” Meanwhile, the Egyptian army announced that some of its troops monitoring the border were injured by fragments.
The Karem Abu Salem crossing is the only commercial crossing into Gaza, through which construction materials, goods, fuel, and foodstuffs needed by the Strip are brought in. It is now used to bring limited humanitarian aid into the Strip.
