Security sources confirmed yesterday that Egypt is in the final stages of reopening the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.
Arrangements are being made on both sides of the border to ensure smooth passage for trucks carrying humanitarian, medical, and food aid into the Gaza Strip.
Dozens of aid trucks are already stationed on the Egyptian side, ready to deliver supplies as soon as the crossing becomes operational.
This step comes after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance group Hamas, including a prisoner swap, which marks the end of 15 months of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.
The ceasefire is expected to begin on Sunday and will last for an initial period of 42 days.
Under the agreement, 33 out of 98 hostages held by Hamas will be released, though it is unclear how many are alive. In exchange, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed from Israeli jails.
Khaled Zaid, head of the Egyptian Red Crescent in North Sinai, confirmed that no humanitarian aid was sent through the Kerem Shalom crossing on Friday, which remains closed.
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has called for unhindered access to deliver aid to Gaza following the ceasefire announcement.
According to UN data, over 90% of the population of Gaza’s 2 million residents are suffering from severe hunger, with critical shortages of drinking water, emergency shelter, and medicines due to the Israeli siege and ongoing attacks.
The WFP stated that approximately 80,000 tons of food are currently outside Gaza or en route, enough to feed 1 million people for three months.
It is important to note that in May 2022, Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing.
