DEVELOPMENT OF THE STORYDEVELOPMENT OF THE STORY,
A small convoy enters the Gaza Strip with urgently needed medicine and food from Egypt.
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza has been opened to allow a small amount of urgently needed aid to flow to Palestinians lacking food, medicine and water in the Israeli-besieged area.
A convoy of 20 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip from Egypt on Saturday carrying medicine and food, the Palestinian group Hamas said in a statement.
More than 200 trucks carrying around 3,000 tons of aid were stationed near the border crossing for days before heading to Gaza.
“The aid convoy scheduled to arrive today includes 20 trucks carrying medicine, medical supplies and a limited amount of food (canned goods),” Hamas’s media office said earlier.
After a rampage by Hamas militants on cities in southern Israel on October 7, Israel blockaded the area and launched waves of punishing airstrikes.
Al Jazeera’s James Bays said that while the opening of the border crossing was “significant” as it could lead to more aid being sent to Gaza, experts say more help is still needed.
“I have to say 20 trucks, considering that Gaza – in terms of the aid that came into Gaza before this conflict started – was receiving about 100 trucks of aid per day… so that’s really a drop in the ocean,” he said.
Many in Gaza, who only have to eat one meal a day and do not have enough water to drink, are desperately waiting for help. Hospital workers also needed urgent medical supplies and fuel for their generators as they treat thousands of people injured in the bombings.
Israel sealed off the area for two weeks, forcing Palestinians to ration food and drink dirty water from wells. Hospitals say they are running out of medicine and fuel for emergency generators due to a nationwide power outage.
This is a developing story. Continue.