Gaza, 22 October 2023 (TDI): Egypt’s border crossing with Gaza reopened, allowing a limited amount of desperately needed aid to enter the besieged Palestinian territory.
This marks the first time the crossing has opened since Israel sealed it off in the wake of recent violence.
However, only 20 trucks were allowed to enter, which aid workers have deemed insufficient to address the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
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More than 200 trucks carrying roughly 3,000 tons of aid have been waiting near the crossing for days. Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians, half of whom have been displaced from their homes, are struggling with food shortages and limited access to clean water.
Hospitals are running low on medical supplies and fuel for emergency generators due to a territory-wide power blackout. Israel continues to launch airstrikes on Gaza, causing extensive damage, while Palestinian militants fire rockets into Israel.
Cindy McCain, the head of the UN’s World Food Program, described the situation as catastrophic, emphasizing the need for more aid and a continuous flow of supplies.
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The Hamas-run government in Gaza has called for a secure corridor operating around the clock, emphasizing that the limited aid convoy will not be enough to change the humanitarian catastrophe.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed growing international concern over the situation in Gaza.
He criticized Hamas’ actions but also stressed that they should not justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
The reopening of the border crossing came after Hamas released an American woman and her teenage daughter, the first of captives to be freed following the recent incursion into Israel by the militant group.
