Aid trucks come back up at the border as people in Gaza run out of food and water
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip: U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, Israel’s PM Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Abuzayda
Both countries have expressed concerns: Israel sought assurances that Hamas would not divert aid or use the trucks to smuggle in weapons, asking that U.N. workers inspect trucks before they entered Gaza. Egypt has made it clear that they won’t allow the mass displacement of Palestinian refugees.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who arrived at the Egyptian side of the border crossing on Friday, called for aid to be allowed into Gaza as soon as possible.
Israel has blockaded Gaza since after the attacks in which 1,400 people were killed.
Thousands of buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed since Hamas began a wave of attacks on Israel two weeks ago. Israeli military officials say the strikes are targeted at Hamas militants and infrastructure.
President Biden was in Israel this week to try to persuade the Israeli Prime Minister and Egypt’s el- Sisi to allow in aid.
JERUSALEM — Twenty trucks carrying medicine, medical supplies and food crossed into Gaza on Saturday morning from Egypt, marking the first humanitarian aid to arrive in the territory since an Israeli bombardment campaign began two weeks ago.
There was a warning from the US State Department for American citizens in Gaza to be aware of a potentially chaotic and disorderly environment at the crossing.
Abuzayda and her husband and son moved south toward Rafah after Israel urged people to leave the northern part of Gaza.
“We are not safe in Gaza,” Israel’s Defense Minister said after a Palestinian attack on a Hamas camp near the border of Israel and Palestine
A window was shattered when a building was hit on Thursday night as her son slept nearby. “I pulled him immediately, and I hugged him. He was freaking out. He was looking at me — he doesn’t know what is going on,” she said. “We are not safe here.”
The situation in the west bank grew tense overnight after Palestinians clashed with Israeli troops at a camp near the borders of Israel and Palestine.
An Israeli airstrike and an exchange of fire between Israeli police and Palestinians followed an Israeli search-and-arrest operation in the camp, the United Nations said. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said a number of terrorists were killed, while Palestinian health officials said at least 11 died. The media in Israel reported the death of a policeman.
In the West Bank, a number of people have been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the war.
Israeli officials said that Hamas had taken at least 20 children, including toddlers; more than a dozen people in their 60s, 70s and 80s; and people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease, heart problems, diabetes and cancer. On top of that, several hostages were gravely wounded by gunshots and grenades during the terrorist attack.
The International Committee of Red Cross is trying to help. Red Cross officials said that they contacted Hamas leaders in the days after the attack.
“The start point is that there are people in the Middle East who should not be there, and I have a hard time getting away from that,” Carboni said this past week.
“They should all be released, but the ones with specific medical conditions should be even more released than the others,” Mr. Carboni said. “There is no way easily to provide the medical help they need in Gaza today,” he added. “We asked for it. But today we are far from it, very far.”
Severe injured people or people who have been fighting chronic illnesses need these supplies the most, since there have been severe shortages and limited access to care over the last two weeks.
The aid workers at the border said there was food, mattresses and blankets in the delivery. Aid groups say that hospitals and desalination plants need fuel to operate because of a lack of water.
But aid groups have warned that 20 truckloads do not come close to addressing the humanitarian needs in Gaza, where the U.N. reports a severe shortage of potable water, food and medical supplies.
“They are the difference between life and death for so many people in Gaza,” said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a Friday visit to the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing. To see them stuck here makes me very clear that we have to make them move to the other side of the wall.
The shelling is a common occurrence in this area. The father of a 6-year-old girl said that they were sleeping next to the crossing and that they were frightened more than if they had been inside. He said they were stuck there for a long period of time, hoping to escape as soon as possible.
