Humanitarian and relief aid trucks within the convoy Zad al-Ezzah.. from Egypt to Gaza began Thursday entering the Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip through the side gate of the Rafah Border Crossing, heading towards the Karm Abou Salem Crossing, southeast of the Strip.
An official source at the Rafah Border Crossing said, the convoy, on its 35th day, includes trucks carrying baskets of legumes, flour, cheese and other foodstuffs, in response to the needs of Gaza’s population and as part of Egypt’s efforts to support the Palestinian people.
The trucks are subject to inspection by Israeli occupation forces before being allowed into Gaza.
The Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) has been present as the national mechanism for coordinating and dispatching aid to Gaza since the beginning of the crisis.
The Rafah Border Crossing from the Egyptian side has never been completely closed and the ERC continues to operate across all logistics centers, facilitating the entry of over 36,000 trucks loaded with nearly half a million tons of humanitarian and relief aid, with the support of 35,000 volunteers.
Israeli occupation forces had closed Gaza’s border crossings since March 2, following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement without reaching a deal to consolidate the truce. Israel violated the truce with heavy airstrikes on March 18 and resumed ground incursions into areas of Gaza it had previously withdrawn from. It also prevented the entry of humanitarian aid trucks, fuel and shelter supplies for displaced people, while refusing to allow heavy equipment needed for rubble removal and reconstruction. Aid deliveries were resumed in May under a mechanism imposed by the Israeli authorities and a US security company, despite UNRWA’s objection that the mechanism violated the established international framework.
The Israeli army announced a “temporary truce” for 10 hours on Sunday, July 27, 2025, suspending military operations in parts of Gaza to allow humanitarian aid deliveries. Meanwhile, mediators – Egypt, Qatar and the US continue efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and a prisoner/hostage exchange.
