Bodies of those killed in one of the bombings. Photo: Dawood Nemer/ AFP-Getty Images/ Taken by NYT.
The Palestinians blockaded in the Gaza Strip are desperately awaiting the arrival of trucks carrying humanitarian aid promised by the United States and Egypt this Thursday, on the thirteenth day of relentless attacks despite intense diplomatic efforts.
Trucks carrying humanitarian aid for the small enclave with 2.4 million inhabitants have been blocked for days at the Rafah border crossing on the border with Egypt.
It will be the first aid delivery to the Gaza Strip since October 7thwhen the Islamist movement Hamas attacked Israel, leaving 1,400 dead.
Since then, Israel has kept Gaza under a total siege A wave of airstrikes and the blockade of the Palestinian enclave have left thousands dead and injured and sparked a humanitarian crisis, while thousands of Israeli soldiers remain prepared for a ground attack.
Egypt still needs to repair the road across the border, which was destroyed by Israeli attacks. More than 200 trucks and about 3,000 tons of aid were ready to enter at or near the Rafah border crossing, said Khalid Zayed, Red Crescent director for North Sinai.
The deliveries would be made under UN supervision, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told Al-Arabiya television. Asked whether foreigners and citizens with dual nationality who wanted to leave would be allowed to pass, he replied: “As long as the border crossing is functioning normally and the (crossing) facilities have been repaired.”
An AFP report said entire neighborhoods in Gaza, a densely populated and impoverished area, were destroyed and residents had no water, food or electricity.
Portal said the 20 truckloads of aid crossing the border from Egypt will do little to lift spirits in the besieged Gaza Strip, where Palestinians are struggling to survive Israeli airstrikes and acute shortages of food and medicine.
After intensive diplomatic efforts, Egypt agreed to reopen its border crossing with Gaza to allow aid to the Palestinians, according to the United States, as the humanitarian crisis worsened for 2.3 million trapped people and anti-Israel protests broke out across the Middle East .
“As far as help goes, it’s something frivolous. We want nothing from Arab and foreign countries except that they stop the violent bombings on our homes,” said El-Awad El-Dali, 65, near the rubble of the house. ruined.
“We want them to stop bombing people who are dying in their homes,” the Gaza resident said.
Most people in the Gaza Strip, who have survived years of attacks, blockades, crises and unemployment, were already in need of aid before the current conflict began. According to the United Nations, about 100 trucks delivered humanitarian aid to the enclave every day.
“My house fell on me. My daughter, who was the flower of the house, died. Look at these children, they were injured like me, they pulled us out of the rubble. “What is our fault?” said Hoda Arafat, who was displaced and now lives in a tent.
“Under the rubble, a woman screamed: ‘Save us, save my daughter-in-law, she’s bleeding,'” he said. There are few places to turn for help.
“We want security, we are civilians, not soldiers, children are on the streets (…) Little children ended up on the streets, without food or water, not even international protection or human rights,” said Salwa Abu Taya while holding a child in their hands.
Residents of the Gaza Strip report that places of joy have become places of misery and fear.
“This is a wedding hall where we used to celebrate the happy events for our sons and daughters, now we sleep in it, we are displaced in it,” said Amena Al-Kitnani. “Instead of celebrating happy events in the wedding hall, it has become a place of sadness.”