5:18 a.m. ET, November 23, 2023
Convoy of aid trucks line up at the Egypt-Gaza border in preparation for a ceasefire
By CNN’s Eleni Giokos in Cairo and journalist Asmaa Khalil at the Rafah border crossing in Egypt. Trucks carrying relief supplies wait to enter Gaza through the Rafah border crossing November 22 in Arish, Egypt. Ali Moustafa/Getty Images A large convoy of aid trucks has lined up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza in readiness for when a ceasefire begins between Israel and Hamas.
The Egyptian government’s press office told CNN on Thursday that it was not yet clear what type of aid or how much aid would be allowed into the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, the head of the Egyptian government’s press office, Ayman Walash, said a total of 2,222 tons of medical aid had been delivered through the Rafah border crossing since the start of the war, in addition to 6,063 tons of food, 4,625 tons of water and 1,407 tons of other supplies.
He told CNN that 378 tons of fuel had been delivered since November 21.
A journalist reporting on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing for CNN on Thursday noted that several dozen trucks were lined up at the border.
According to the United Nations, before the Israel-Hamas war broke out, around 455 trucks carrying aid supplies were entering the Gaza Strip every day. While some aid has been able to reach the enclave since the start of recent hostilities, the United Nations has repeatedly warned that current aid levels do little to meet the needs of the more than two million Palestinians living in Gaza.
Some context: A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that was scheduled to begin Thursday morning has now been postponed until Friday, an Israeli official told CNN, citing “minor implementation details.”
The deal not only calls for the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but also includes a four-day pause in fighting to allow more aid to flow to Gaza.