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Al-Ahram Weekly
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
12 Egyptian military aircraft airdrop tons of food to inaccessible parts of Gaza - Foreign Affairs
Twelve Egyptian military transport aircraft have airdropped large quantities of food aid to areas in Gaza that are difficult to access by land over the past three days, according to a statement from the Egyptian military spokesman on Wednesday. The move is part of Egypt's ongoing support for Palestinians facing a "humanitarian ordeal, the statement added. "President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has directed continued efforts to assist the residents of the Gaza Strip in their tragic circumstances, in light of the severe shortage of all humanitarian needs," read the statement. The airdrops are conducted in parallel with land convoys through the Rafah crossing. Today, the ninth Egyptian aid convoy crossed the Rafah crossing toward the Karm Abu Salem crossing with tens of trucks carrying essential food supplies and personal care products for starved Palestinians. The convoy is part of the emergency Egyptian response, in collaboration with the UN and its humanitarian partners, to stem famine conditions unfolding in Gaza, where Israel has driven most of the 2.3 million population in the strip into famine. Israel has imposed a full blockade on the entry of food, water, and medicine into Gaza for five months. Since 27 July, the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) has managed to deliver 20,000 tons of aid supplies to Gaza under the Zad El-Ezza: From Egypt to Gaza humanitarian initiative to save starving Palestinians. However, Israel has continued to delay the entry of aid trucks into Gaza at the Karm Abu Salem crossing as Israeli soldiers inspected trucks over and over for hours at a time. These Israeli restrictive measures have limited the number of aid trucks entering the strip to 100 per day, according to media reports. In contrast, international aid groups say a minimum of 600-800 trucks are needed per day to stem starvation. On Tuesday, El-Sisi described the war in Gaza as "a war of starvation, genocide," calling for an immediate ceasefire and the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid. He also categorically rejected the accusations levelled at Egypt of blocking aid. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 days ago
- General
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Eighth Egyptian aid convoy heads to Gaza - Foreign Affairs
Egypt's eighth humanitarian aid convoy departed early Tuesday from the Rafah border crossing, carrying dozens of trucks loaded with food supplies, flour, and dairy products bound for Gaza. An additional 33 Emirati aid trucks, carrying 892 tonnes of food, are preparing to cross into Gaza via the Rafah and Karm Abu Salem crossings, according to Sky News Arabia. The latest convoy is part of Egypt's ongoing large-scale relief effort, which has included continuous convoys and airdrops over the past week to combat worsening famine conditions in the besieged enclave. On Monday, Egypt's seventh convoy—coordinated by the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), the country's official aid body for Gaza—stretched nearly four kilometres along the Rafah border, awaiting entry to Karm Abu Salem. It delivered critical supplies such as flour, sugar, and baby formula. This came a day after a series of airdrop operations on Sunday, during which nine military transport planes dropped food aid over remote areas of Gaza inaccessible by land. That same day, Egypt's sixth and largest convoy entered the Strip, including two fuel trucks carrying 107 tonnes of diesel to help restart Gaza's remaining hospitals and bakeries. Last Thursday, Egypt's fifth convoy crossed with over 1,200 tonnes of essential supplies aboard more than 100 trucks. The day before, four military aircraft conducted further airdrops targeting isolated communities. The aid push follows the launch of the ERC's humanitarian initiative, Zad El-Ezza: From Egypt to Gaza, on 27 July. The initiative, marking Egypt's first major aid escalation after five months of a total and deadly Israeli blockade, delivered over 4,000 tonnes of relief within three days, despite what Egyptian officials described as significant Israeli-imposed logistical and bureaucratic barriers. Since the crisis began, over 35,000 aid trucks carrying more than 130,000 tonnes of supplies have reached Gaza via Egypt. Authorities estimate total Egyptian-facilitated relief exceeds 500,000 tonnes since the start of Israel's genocidal war on the Strip. The renewed aid surge comes amid growing international condemnation of the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an aid mechanism established in late May that tens of international humanitarian groups have denounced as a 'war mechanism for killing Palestinians.' Since its launch, Israeli forces have killed over 1,400 Palestinians—many of them children—at GHF aid distribution points, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry and United Nations (UN) agencies. Despite sustained Egyptian aid, humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to worsen. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has warned that Gaza is now facing the 'worst-case scenario of famine,' with 100 percent of the Strip's population at risk due to Israel's ongoing blockade and aid access restrictions. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
7 days ago
- General
- Al-Ahram Weekly
In Photos: 9 Egyptian military planes airdrop tons of food in Gaza: Army spox - Foreign Affairs
Nine Egyptian military transport planes airdropped tons of food in areas that are difficult to reach by land in the Gaza Strip, in tandem with land convoys through the Rafah crossing, Egypt's military spokesman affirmed in a statement on Sunday. The spokesman added that the airdrops "were conducted upon President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's directives to provide all forms of support to the Palestinian people, aiming to alleviate their suffering amid the strip's deteriorating humanitarian conditions due to Israel's war." On Wednesday, four Egyptian military transport aircraft airdropped food over areas in the Gaza Strip that are difficult to access by land. Saturday's airdrop comes as Egypt's sixth and largest humanitarian aid convoy entered Gaza on Saturday morning, including two fuel trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel to help restore operations at the hospitals and bakeries of the besieged Palestinian territory. Earlier on Sunday, Al-Qahera News carried live coverage showing dozens of trucks, organised by the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), moving from the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing into the Karm Abu Salem crossing on their way to enter Gaza. The fuel delivery, the first of its kind in months, is a lifeline for Gaza hospitals stuffed with critically injured patients and children suffering from acute malnutrition due to Israel's engineered famine. The convoy also included substantial quantities of food staples such as flour, white sugar, ghee, lentils, fava beans, cooking oil, and infant formula, according to Egypt's Al-Qahera News. On Thursday, Egypt's fifth aid convoy entered Gaza carrying over 1,200 tons of essential supplies aboard more than 100 trucks. It included approximately 840 tons of flour and 450 tons of assorted food parcels, the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) said in a statement. Last Sunday, the ERC launched the humanitarian initiative "Zad El-Ezza: From Egypt to Gaza," marking its first aid convoy after five months of a deadly Israeli blockade. The renewed Egyptian aid flows come amid mounting international condemnation of the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which was described by international aid organizations as "a war mechanism for killing Palestinians." Since its launch in May, Israeli forces have killed over 1,400 starving Palestinians seeking aid at designated GHF distribution points, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry and UN figures. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
30-07-2025
- General
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Fourth Egyptian aid convoy reaches Karm Abu Salem as Israel stalls entry into Gaza - Foreign Affairs
Egypt's fourth humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza reached the Karm Abu Salem crossing early Wednesday, after crossing from Rafah amid ongoing Israeli delays that have slowed the entry of life-saving supplies. Dozens of trucks carrying food, medical, and relief materials were seen queuing at the border, awaiting clearance to deliver urgently needed aid to the besieged southern Gaza Strip. According to Al-Qahera News, Egypt has delivered over 4,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies to Gaza over the past three days, despite bureaucratic and logistical obstacles on the Israeli side. The breakdown includes approximately 1,855 tonnes of food baskets, 1,640 tonnes of flour, 400 tonnes of personal care items, and 150 tonnes of medical aid. Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) officials reported that Israeli authorities delayed the entry of the fourth convoy, citing concerns that some truckloads were 'unbalanced.' Several trucks were forced to return to the Egyptian side to adjust cargo or reattempt entry the following day. The ERC, which is coordinating national humanitarian relief efforts for Gaza, launched its first convoy, named Zad El-Ezza: From Egypt to Gaza, on Sunday. That initial shipment included more than 100 trucks carrying 1,200 tonnes of supplies, primarily flour and food parcels. On Monday, the second convoy crossed into Gaza carrying around 1,500 tonnes of aid, followed by the third convoy on Tuesday with roughly 1,300 tonnes. Combined, the three convoys delivered critical food and medical support, including 440 tonnes of food baskets, 450 tonnes of flour, 150 tonnes of medications, and 200 tonnes of hygiene items. Since the beginning of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, Egypt says it has facilitated the entry of more than 35,000 aid trucks, delivering over 500,000 tonnes of humanitarian relief. However, international organizations have repeatedly warned that Israel's blockade and restrictions on aid access continue to worsen conditions on the ground, starving the Strip's 2.4 million population to death. The ERC, operating with a volunteer base of 35,000 across its logistics hubs, remains a central actor in Egypt's broader response to the humanitarian crisis in the enclave. Aid groups have emphasized the urgency of sustained access and called for the immediate removal of obstructions to humanitarian delivery. Starvation crisis and aid access The delivery of Egyptian aid comes amid mounting international alarm over Gaza's deepening famine, exacerbated by Israel's ongoing blockade and bombardment. For over four months, humanitarian agencies and food security experts have warned that famine is imminent. The United Nations (UN) estimates that 600 to 800 aid trucks are needed daily to sustain life in the territory, numbers that remain far out of reach. Since October 2023, Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has killed over 60,000 Palestinians—primarily women and children—and injured over 144,000 others, with many still buried under rubble. But hunger has emerged as a second front of devastation. Images of severely emaciated children, many of whom have been killed by the manufactured famine engineered by Israel, have triggered growing backlash from Tel Aviv's allies, including the US, and sparked calls for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. The context of the alert is stark: one in three people is now going without food for days at a time, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said this week. Hospitals, already decimated by bombing and supply shortages, have treated more than 20,000 children for acute malnutrition since April. At least 16 children under five have died from hunger-related causes in the last two weeks. In recent days, at least five infants died from hunger-related causes. More than 900,000 children in Gaza are now suffering from hunger, and 70,000 have entered the stage of clinical malnutrition, putting them at imminent risk of death. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
