CAIRO: More than 100 aid trucks have reached the Gaza Strip by Monday after an agreement to reroute assistance through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, but supplies have not been distributed due to ongoing Israeli offensive, sources said.
Deliveries are badly required as little aid has reached southern Gaza since May 6, when Israel took control of the Rafah border crossing, about 3.5 km from Kerem Shalom and the main entry point into Gaza for humanitarian and commercial deliveries.
The latest arrivals would be the biggest aid delivery into southern Gaza since the launch of Israel’s attacks in Rafah. Past many days have seen no trucks crossing the border.
Israeli forces started a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over three weeks ago. An Israeli airstrike on Sunday caused a fire that killed 45 people.
Officials said in a tent camp in Rafah on Monday, prompting an outcry from international leaders. According to Egyptian security sources 123 aid trucks had crossed the border and delivered goods to the United Nations.
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An Israeli source confirmed that assistance had been brought into Gaza and delivered to partners. An Egyptian aid source said four fuel tankers had also crossed the border.
However, Palestinian and UN officials said Palestinian trucks that went to pick up the aid at the crossing returned empty.
A UN official in Gaza said trucks moved through, but it was not possible to collect the deliveries due to the rocket attacks and the IAF (air force) strikes. The source added that the supplies belonged to the World Food Programme and UN’s Palestinian aid agency UNRWA.
On Friday, the United States and Egypt agreed to utilize Kerem Shalom until arrangements were finalized to re-open Rafah from the Palestinian side, said the Egyptian presidency. Egypt has refused to coordinate with Israel on the border crossing.
