Egypt has been gearing up for the opening of the Rafah border over the past two days, with hundreds of trucks loaded with food, water, and medicine lined up, while ministers conduct inspections at the crossing, local media reports.
The UN’s Palestinian Refugee Agency has also announced that it has 4,000 truckloads of aid ready to enter Gaza, with half of the shipments containing food and flour.
Following the announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire to end the ongoing war in Gaza, Egyptian authorities swiftly began preparing in North Sinai to reopen the Rafah border crossing.
This crossing had been closed by Israel in May 2024 after its forces occupied the Palestinian side, with Chief military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stating that Israeli forces had gained control of the Philadelphi Corridor.
Egypt opened registration for doctors wishing to volunteer to treat the wounded from the Israeli aggression in Gaza to compile a list of the necessary medical supplies. As a result, more than 2,000 doctors are now ready to volunteer and enter Gaza to assist the injured.
The Ministries of Health and Social Solidarity also conducted an inspection tour to ensure the availability of all required vaccines in anticipation of receiving injured individuals from Gaza. This included the Sabin and Salk polio vaccines, as well as vaccines for Measles, Rubella, and Mumps.
Israel’s cabinet has approved a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, along with provisions for the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, which has been set to take effect on Sunday, January 19, as announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The ceasefire, which unfolds in three stages, begins with an initial six-week phase during which hostages held by Hamas are exchanged for prisoners and detainees held in Israel. The second and third phases will focus on Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza and the reconstruction of the region.
The Israeli government has been blocking aid from entering Gaza for the past year. According to data released in September 2024 from organizations operating in Gaza, 83 percent of the needed food aid has been prevented from reaching the area, leaving people in Gaza with only one meal every other day instead of the usual two.
In August 2024, just 69 aid trucks entered Gaza daily, a sharp decline from the 500 trucks per day that entered in 2023.
Since October 2023, over 300 aid workers have been killed in Gaza, marking the highest death toll among aid personnel in any single crisis globally. At least 46,000 Palestinians have died, and 109,274 have been injured. More than 90 percent of the population has been displaced from their homes.
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