Gaza: The 166th convoy of Egyptian humanitarian aid trucks, part of the "Zad Al Ezzah" initiative, entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday, March 29, 2026, via the Rafah land crossing, heading toward the Karm Abu Salem terminal for delivery to the enclave.
According to State Information Service Egypt, a senior official stated that the convoy carries substantial quantities of food and relief supplies, including food aid kits, flour, fresh bread, legumes, preserved foods, medicines, personal care items, tents, and fuel. All trucks are subject to inspection by Israeli authorities prior to entering the territory, the official added.
Israeli forces had closed the crossings linking Gaza on March 2, 2025, following the conclusion of the first phase of the ceasefire and the failure to reach a permanent agreement. The truce was violated on March 18, 2025, when Israel launched heavy aerial bombardments and conducted sporadic ground incursions into areas from which it had previously withdrawn.
Israeli authorities had also blocked the entry of humanitarian aid trucks, fuel, and materials needed for displaced residents, and refused to allow heavy equipment for rubble removal and reconstruction. Aid deliveries to Gaza resumed in May 2025 under a mechanism implemented by Israeli authorities and a US security company, despite objections from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) over its deviation from established international procedures.
The Israeli army announced a temporary 10-hour truce on Sunday, July 27, 2025, suspending military operations in parts of Gaza to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States continued efforts to secure a comprehensive ceasefire and a prisoner exchange, culminating in the early hours of October 9, 2025, with an agreement between Hamas and Israel on the first phase of the ceasefire under a plan brokered by US President Donald Trump in Sharm El Sheikh, facilitated by Egyptian, US, Qatari, and Turkish mediation.
The second phase of the agreement came into effect on February 2, 2026, following the completion of the prisoner exchange and the return of the remains of the last detained Israeli. Under this phase, Palestinians were permitted to enter Gaza, and the injured were allowed to leave for medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals after the Palestinian side of the Rafah land crossing was opened.