RAFAH, Egypt, Dec 30 (MENA) – A convoy of humanitarian aid trucks began entering the Gaza Strip on Tuesday through the secondary gate of the Rafah land port in Egypt’s North Sinai province, heading toward the Karm Abu Salem crossing for onward delivery into the enclave, an official source said.
The convoy, the 105th under the initiative “Zad Al-Ezza from Egypt to Gaza,” is carrying thousands of tons of food aid, humanitarian supplies, medical equipment and medicines, as well as petroleum products and shelter materials, according to a responsible source at the Rafah land port.
The “Zad Al-Ezza” convoys were launched by the Egyptian Red Crescent on July 27 and have since delivered thousands of tons of assistance, including food materials, flour, infant formula, medical supplies, medicines and fuel.
Israel has kept crossings linking Gaza largely closed since March 2, following the end of the first phase of a ceasefire agreement and the failure to reach a deal to extend it. The truce was later breached by intense Israeli air strikes on March 18, followed by renewed ground incursions into areas of Gaza from which Israeli forces had previously withdrawn. Israeli authorities also blocked the entry of humanitarian aid trucks, fuel and shelter supplies for displaced residents who lost their homes during the war, and refused the entry of heavy equipment needed for rubble removal and reconstruction.
In May, Israeli authorities allowed limited quantities of aid into Gaza that fell short of minimum needs, under a mechanism implemented with a US security company. The arrangement was rejected by United Nations agencies, other relief organizations and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which said it contravened established international aid delivery mechanisms.
The Egyptian Red Crescent has served as the national mechanism coordinating and dispatching aid to Gaza since the crisis began in October 2023. The Rafah land port has not been fully closed during this period, and the organization said it remains on high readiness across its logistics hubs, with about 35,000 volunteers supporting ongoing relief efforts.
