The Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) on Monday sent the 12th aid convoy with approximately 2,300 tons of humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip through the Karem Abu Salem Crossing as part of its ongoing food and relief support for the Palestinians.
The aid included food, medical supplies, personal care items, infant formula, and tens of thousands of loaves of bread.
A day earlier, the 11th aid envoy, called “Zad Al-Izza”, from Egypt to Gaza entered the Strip, also including three tankers carrying 160 tons of diesel intended for the operation of vital facilities such as hospitals and water treatment plants.
No humanitarian aid has been able to enter Gaza since Israel occupied the Palestinian side of the Rafah Crossing on 2 March. However, two weeks ago and under intense global pressure, Israel allowed some aid convoys to enter the Strip.
“Since then, the ERC and other Egyptian institutions have mobilised to bring in the largest volume of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip,” said ERC Executive Director Amal Imam, adding that the organisation has succeeded in bringing in nearly 1,000 trucks carrying approximately 14,000 tons of aid, of which 800 trucks have already reached delivery points in Gaza.
“In a single day, on 31 July, for example, 129 aid trucks entered Gaza through the Rafah Crossing, including 50 provided by the ERC, 54 from the United Nations, and 25 from the UAE,” Imam said.
Imam noted that since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted in October 2023, more than 36,000 trucks have transported nearly 500,000 tons of aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing.
Nabila Makram Ebeid, executive secretary of the National Alliance for Civil Development Action, announced in a press statement on Sunday that the alliance has delivered 11 relief convoys since 1 August carrying approximately 67,000 tons of food and medical and humanitarian supplies.
She added that the last convoy on Sunday included 200 trucks carrying more than 4,000 tons of aid. The aid included healthcare materials, medicines, and medical supplies. It also provided shelter materials for families who have lost their homes.
Ebeid explained that there is high-level coordination between state agencies and civil society organisations, such as the ERC, the Tahya Misr Fund, and Zakat House, to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza on a daily basis.
Land routes have not been the only means of delivering aid and support to Gaza. Egypt’s military aircraft have continued for the third week to carry out humanitarian airlift missions in cooperation with several Arab and Western countries in order to drop dozens of tons of food and medical supplies to the Palestinians in Gaza.
As a result, said Imam, Egypt’s aid has accounted for approximately 80 per cent of the total international aid provided to Gaza, affirming its leading role as a key supporter of the Palestinian people and a strategic hub for humanitarian efforts in the region.
Meanwhile, Egypt sharply condemned the Israeli cabinet’s decision to adopt a plan for the entire conquest of the Gaza Strip. A statement by the Foreign Ministry on 9 August described the plan as “an attempt to consolidate Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, continue its war of extermination in Gaza, eliminate all aspects of life for the Palestinian people, undermine their right to self-determination and the creation of their independent state, and liquidate the Palestinian cause in a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international law.”
During a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in New Alamein City on Saturday, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed that “the displacement of the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is a red line that Egypt will not allow to be crossed.”
“The full occupation of Gaza and the displacement of the Palestinians are part of Israel’s expansionist policies that we will never allow to happen,” he said.
North Sinai Governor Khaled Megawer said that “Israel’s policy of starving the Palestinians and occupying Gaza aims to force them to take only two paths: the first is to head towards Israel, where they will be exposed to a hail of fire and die, and the second is to head towards the Egyptian border.”
“For this reason, Egypt has made unilateral efforts to bring in food and medicine to the besieged Palestinians so that they can remain on their land and do not have to leave.”
During a press conference held near the Rafah Crossing on 7 August, Megawer said that “I warn Israel against approaching Egypt’s borders with the Gaza Strip, and I affirm that Egypt’s response would be surprising not only to Israel, but also to the entire world.”
“Egypt is not a weak country. It is highly capable of defending its borders and national security,” he said.
He stressed that “anyone who knows Egypt and its strength would not dare approach its borders or test its patience, and all should note that the security of Egypt’s borders is a red line that cannot be crossed under any circumstances.”
MP and journalist Mustafa Bakri noted that Megawer had directed a stern and blunt message to Israel. He said that Megawer’s remarks show that Cairo is fully aware of Israel’s plans regarding Gaza and the displacement of its people.
“It also shows that the coming period is dangerous and that Egypt will not accept any infringement on its national security,” Bakri said.
He noted that while Egypt is ramping up relief efforts to help Gaza, it is still facing malicious campaigns suggesting that it is not doing enough to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians.
Osama Hamdan, a Hamas leader in Lebanon, claimed in an interview with Aljazeera TV channel that Egypt is closing the Rafah Crossing and preventing the flow of aid.
“The Egyptian army should allow the flow of aid into Gaza even if it means military confrontation with the Israelis,” Hamdan said.
The banned Muslim Brotherhood group also used social media to allege that Israel will export gas to Egypt under a $35 billion agreement.
In response, Petroleum Ministry Spokesperson Moataz Atef said on 8 August that reports regarding the signing of a new gas supply agreement between Egypt and Israel are not accurate. He explained that what had happened is an amendment to a previous agreement signed in 2019 and not a new deal as some have claimed.
“The primary goal of this amendment is to maximise energy sources and diversify them as Egypt is striving to become a regional energy hub and ensure its energy security through 2040,” Atef said, adding that Egypt will also use its liquefaction plants to re-export the gas as liquified natural gas to Europe.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 14 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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