Egyptian border opens, allowing dozens of trucks to bring aid into Gaza
The Egyptian border opened on Monday morning for the first time in several months, allowing dozens of trucks carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip to cross into the Kerem Shalom crossing, funded by the international community, Egypt, and the UAE.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on US President Donald Trump in a televised speech on Monday to exert all efforts to end the war in Gaza and to allow entry of aid to the enclave. "He is capable of stopping the war," Sisi said.
Security sources confirmed that the UAE is fully committed to supporting the humanitarian effort. 'They know there is no famine in Gaza and believe this will help bring back all the hostages and end the war,' the sources told Walla. They added that Hamas initiated a starvation campaign to improve its position in negotiations, and with the arrival of humanitarian aid, it undermines the organization's false narrative.
The entry of aid from Egypt has expanded the scope of humanitarian assistance. Additionally, the UAE has started sending aid through the Ashdod port. Last week, 50 trucks entered via the Zikim area, with numbers expected to rise weekly.
Military sources said that the aid allows the IDF breathing room to continue operations deep within Palestinian territory to achieve its objectives. The IDF, in coordination with Shin Bet, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Defense Ministry, and IDF Intelligence, has increased monitoring and enforcement of traffic routes and aid distribution to prevent Hamas from seizing control of the aid before it reaches the population.
Over the past week, more than 250 aid trucks were unloaded, joining hundreds of trucks waiting at crossings for collection by the UN and international organizations. In total, about 600 trucks have been distributed across Gaza.
Entry of aid into Gaza
Since the resumption of aid entry, more than 5,000 trucks of humanitarian aid have been transferred to Gaza. These include food packages, flour for bakeries, raw materials for kitchens, baby food, and medical supplies.
Over the past two months, more than 100,000 tons of food have entered the Gaza Strip. Last week alone, 20,000 tons of food were delivered, and over 3,000 tons of baby food have been transferred since aid resumed. This week, an additional 1,200 tons of food are scheduled to enter.
Experts have analyzed that such a continuous supply of aid will meet and exceed the humanitarian needs for babies in Gaza. Nearly 1.5 million weekly food packages have been distributed to families through distribution centers.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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