Aid trucks line up on Egyptian border waiting for access to Gaza

Cairo: Hundreds of trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, medical supplies, food and blankets lined up on Tuesday at the Rafah crossing, waiting for access to Gaza from the Egyptian side.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is the only remaining outlet for supplies, but it has been closed for much of the past week, with neither Gazans, foreign nationals or humanitarian aid being able to cross amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

“Trucks moved from Arish city in north Sinai in the early hours of Tuesday to the Rafah crossing,” Shihata Saber, a truck driver told Xinhua.

“I’m proud to be part of the covey. We are ready to enter aid to our brothers in Palestine,” said Saber, who had waited for nearly four days after loading the aid in Arish.

After crossing Rafah, the trucks will head to the Kerem Shalom border crossing to be inspected by the Israeli side before moving to Gaza, an Egyptian security official told Xinhua.

Shipments of aid from Jordan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates had arrived at the Arish airport, 50 km west of Rafah, together with medical supplies provided by the World Health Organization.

“Since the beginning of the conflict, Egypt attempted to keep the Rafah crossing bordering with Gaza open to deliver aid in coordination with the United Nations,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Monday.

“(However) The Israeli government has not taken any measure from the side of Gaza to allow access,” he said.

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(IANS)