Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid await permission on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip, to enter the besieged Palestinians territory. AFP
The convoy, organized by the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), is loaded with thousands of tons of aid, including food baskets, medical supplies, hospital beds, essential medical equipment, and fuel.
The dispatch comes as part of Egypt's ongoing relief efforts aimed at stemming the unfolding famine caused by Israel's genocidal war and mass starvation campaign in Gaza.
This follows a visit on Monday by members of The Elders, a peace advocacy group, to the ERC warehouses in Arish, North Sinai, where they inspected shocking amounts of food and medicine in Egyptian warehouses, ready to enter the strip but delayed due to Israeli authorities' prolonged inspection processes.
"The Israeli killing and starving of Gaza must end now," the group said after listening to accounts from truck drivers who said their vehicles have been turned back by Israeli authorities multiple times without a plausible explanation.
On Monday, Egypt’s 12th aid convoy headed to Gaza carrying over 2,000 tons of relief items, including food baskets, flour, medical drugs, and treatment supplies.
On Sunday, Egypt’s 11th aid convoy also entered Gaza through the Karm Abu Salem crossing, including three diesel tankers. It included over 3,000 tons of food, medical supplies, personal care items, infant formula, and tens of thousands of loaves of bread prepared by the ERC.
Since 27 July, Egypt has sent successive aid convoys into Gaza in an effort to curb the worsening famine caused by Israel's five-month blockade of the strip.
The months-long Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip has caused the deaths of over 212 Palestinians, including nearly 100 children, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The renewed Egyptian push, in collaboration with international humanitarian organizations, comes as famine tightens its grip on the nearly 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza.
According to ERC Executive Director Amal Imam, Egypt has sent 36,000 trucks carrying more than 500,000 tons of aid since the start of the war in October 2023.
Furthermore, the Egyptian Armed Forces have carried out multiple airdrops of food to reach areas in Gaza cut off from aid distribution.
According to the United Nations, the entire population is now facing food insecurity. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has also warned of a “worst-case scenario of famine.”
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