Aid trucks begin entering Gaza from southern Israel

Aid trucks began to enter Gaza under a new agreement with Egypt after Israeli forces took over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing earlier this month.

The trucks began to enter Gaza from southern Israel on Sunday, but it’s unclear whether humanitarian aid groups will be able to access the supplies as fighting continues in the region, according to The Associated Press (AP).

Egypt has refused to reopen its side of the Rafah crossing until the Palestinians are handed back control of their side of the crossing. Until then, Egypt has temporarily agreed to send any aid through Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing after a call between President Biden and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

The AP noted that the Israeli crossing has largely been inaccessible due to fighting near Rafah. 

Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera TV aired video footage of what it said were aid trucks crossing into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, AP reported. Khaled Zayed, head of the Egyptian Red Crescent in the Sinai Peninsula, said 200 aid trucks and four fuel trucks were expected to cross into Gaza on Sunday, according to the news service.

Humanitarian aid in Gaza has been scarce in recent months as the fighting continues to ravage the region. Over a million people have been displaced since the war began as humanitarian aid groups have warned of starvation in the territory.

Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatant and civilian deaths. The war began shortly after the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that left about 1,200 people dead.

The Associated Press contributed.