A total of 166 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip through the Karm Abu Salem and Zikim crossings between Wednesday morning and early Thursday, as Egypt intensified efforts to coordinate aid delivery with international partners.
The trucks carried essential relief items including large quantities of flour, assorted foodstuffs, and medical supplies, according to sources cited by Al-Qahera News Channel. An additional convoy of 180 trucks, including 137 loaded with flour, was reportedly being prepared for imminent dispatch.
The Egyptian Red Crescent has increased its logistical readiness in coordination with international and United Nations agencies, aiming to alleviate the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The enclave has seen extensive damage to its infrastructure and a collapse in basic services.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent told Al Manassa that preparations are underway to facilitate the new convoy through the Rafah crossing. The source, who requested anonymity, said the trucks would use multiple entry points to speed up and widen distribution.
“The Egyptian Red Crescent is handling the preparation and dispatch of the aid, which is distributed directly to residents rather than stored in international warehouses,” the source said, citing the lack of logistical capacity and widespread destruction of relief centers inside the strip.
Over the past few days, nearly 70 trucks have made their way into Gaza in batches via southern and central corridors, including the desalination area in Khan Younis and the Zikim and Netzarim zones. Distribution has increasingly relied on ad hoc efforts, as formal coordination with aid agencies falters.
An Egyptian official familiar with the aid file told Al Manassa the deliveries form part of a July 10 agreement between the European Union and the Israeli government to improve humanitarian access and curb the risk of famine in Gaza.
At the time, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc had secured Israeli commitments to expand aid entry, reopen key routes, and increase truck numbers.
In the wake of that agreement, an Israeli delegation visited Cairo last week for two days of talks on implementing the deal through the Rafah border.
Meanwhile, aid convoys in Gaza continue to face violence. According to multiple accounts, Israeli forces have attacked distribution points through live fire and airstrikes, and at times ordered trucks to drive into crowds of displaced Palestinians seeking assistance. Hundreds have reportedly been killed.
Israel had previously refused to enter the second phase of a truce agreed in January, and resumed its assault on Gaza in March. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023.
Ceasefire talks remain deadlocked. Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are brokering negotiations in Cairo and Doha, seeking a 60-day pause in fighting based on a U.S. proposal, but no breakthrough has yet been achieved.
