Gaza border crossing between Egypt and Gaza opens, allowing badly needed supplies to reach Palestinians

In order to provide vitally needed supplies to Palestinians in Gaza who are running out of food, medication, and water in the area that is under an Israeli blockade, the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza opened on Saturday.

Before entering Gaza, more than 200 trucks carrying almost 3,000 tons of supplies had been waiting close to the gate for days. The vehicles were seen by a correspondent with the Associated Press.

In response to the Hamas terrorists’ attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, Israel blockaded the area and conducted waves of harsh airstrikes.

Many people in Gaza are in severe need of help since they can only eat one meal per day and do not have access to adequate water to drink. As they care for a sizable number of victims injured in the explosions, hospital staff members also had an urgent need for medical supplies and gasoline for their generators.

Additionally, hundreds of people with foreign passports waited to cross from Gaza to Egypt in order to flee the fighting.

Following the release of an American mother and her teenage daughter by Hamas, the first of some 200 prisoners liberated following the terrorist group’s attack on Israel on October 7, Israel and Palestinian militants exchanged gunfire on Saturday.

Due to Israel’s two-week closure of the area, Palestinians have been forced to ration food and consume contaminated well water. In the midst of a widespread blackout, hospitals claim they are running short on supplies of medication and gasoline for emergency generators.

On the Gaza side, a line of empty flatbed trucks could be seen moving, maybe in anticipation of bringing in the urgently needed supplies. The announcement of the release coincided with rising anticipation for a ground invasion that Israel claims is intended to destroy the terrorist organization that has dominated Gaza for 16 years. Israel said on Friday that it had no intention of assuming long-term rule over the little region, which is home to over 2.3 million Palestinians.

The sole access point into Gaza that is not under Israeli control, Rafah, saw further work done on the road on Friday. Large holes were filled up using bulldozers and other machinery, and trucks were utilized to dump gravel.

However, there also seemed to be ongoing disagreements about the method of relief distribution. According to UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, UNSecretary-General Antonio Guterres was collaborating with Egypt, Israel, the US, and others to resolve the “impasse” blocking the trucks from entering.

In order to accelerate truck cargo inspection, Guterres wants to guarantee that “meaningful” numbers of trucks pass each day. He also wants to guarantee that U.N. authorities have gasoline to transport goods across Gaza.

Near the border, more than 200 vehicles and over 3,000 tons of assistance were waiting. Israel said that the assistance could only be delivered to civilians and that it would “thwart” any Hamas attempts at diversion. If gasoline for the hospital’s generators would be permitted entry was not apparent.