Palestinian walk carrying sacks of flour near Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip. AFP
The second convoy, organized by the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) and the National Alliance for Civil Development Work (NACDW), was rerouted a few kilometres to the nearby Karm Abu Salem crossing, operated by Israel, to be inspected before being allowed into southern Gaza.
According to the ERC, the convoy comprises 135 trucks carrying approximately 1,500 tons of aid. It consists of 965 tons of food packs, around 350 tons of flour, and 200 tons of personal care supplies.
An Al-Qahera News reporter, standing in front of the Rafah crossing, quoted ERC officials as confirming that each pack of food can sustain a seven-member family from seven to 10 days.
On Sunday, ERC and NACDW launched their first aid convoy to Gaza to stem starvation among 2.3 million Palestinians caused by five months of an all-out Israeli blockade on the strip.
The convoy, named Zad Al-Ezza: From Egypt to Gaza, consisted of over 100 trucks, carrying 1,200 tons of food supplies, including approximately 840 tons of flour and 450 tons of food baskets.
On Saturday, Israel announced a limited tactical pause in its military operations in parts of Gaza to allow the delivery of aid to Palestinians in select areas in the strip.
This came after a joint statement by 25 Western countries and the EU’s crisis commissioner on Monday, which condemned the US/Israeli so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for killing aid-seekers and called for the unfettered entry of aid under international mechanisms to save starving Palestinians in the strip.
Since May, Israeli soldiers have killed and wounded hundreds of desperate aid-seekers at US/Israeli aid centres.
Short link: