Gaza, Part Of Humanitarian Aid Passes Through Rafah

The Rafah crossing, connecting the southern Gaza Strip with Egypt, was opened to allow humanitarian aid destined for the Palestinian population, but then closed again.

On the morning of October 21, some trucks blocked in Egypt managed to pass through the southern border of the sector, the only one not controlled by Israel. The vehicles passed through the Kerem Shalom crossing, which was opened in the final hours after Israeli bombing, allowing humanitarian aid to pass through. They were taken to two sorting centers set up by the Red Crescent and UNRWA (a UN agency) in the south of the sector in Rafah and Deir el-Ballah.

Following the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel imposed a complete blockade, effectively “imprisoning” more than 2 million people in the area, which was then subjected to intense aerial bombardment.

In recent days, the United Nations has raised the alarm about a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling for a “humanitarian ceasefire.” Gaza’s population faces shortages of food, water, and fuel, even for powerering emergency hospital generators.

Mahmoud al-Nairab, head of the Palestinian Red Crescent delegation, told Italian news agency ANSA that the aid mainly consists of medicines for hospitals, food, water, and mattresses, but initial reports indicate that there will be no fuel supplies. However, the Rafah crossing was not open to civilians, who were therefore unable to reach safety in Egypt.

“This first convoy will not be the last,” explained Martin Griffiths, head of the UN humanitarian agency. “I am confident that this expedition will mark the beginning of a sustained effort to deliver essential goods, including food, water, medicine, and fuel, to the people of Gaza, in a safe, unconditional, and unimpeded way.”