Rafah: The 182nd humanitarian aid convoy of trucks has begun entering the Gaza Strip via the secondary gate of Rafah land crossing, heading toward the Karm Abu Salem Crossing in preparation for delivery into the enclave, after a two-day stoppage over the weekend.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the trucks are part of the 'Zad Al-Ezza. From Egypt to Gaza' convoy, carrying large quantities of food and relief supplies, including food parcels, flour, fresh bread, legumes, canned goods, medicines, personal care items, tents, and fuel. The trucks are inspected by Israeli authorities before being allowed into Gaza.
Israeli forces had closed crossings linking Gaza since March 2, 2025, following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and the failure to reach a deal to reinforce the truce. The truce was later breached by heavy airstrikes on March 18, 2025, followed by renewed ground incursions into several areas of Gaza.
Israeli authorities also blocked the entry of humanitarian aid, fuel, and shelter supplies for displaced people, and refused to allow in heavy equipment needed for debris removal and reconstruction. Aid deliveries resumed in May 2025 under a mechanism implemented by Israeli authorities and a US security company, despite rejection by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which said it contravened established international mechanisms.
The Israeli army later announced a 'temporary truce' for 10 hours on July 27, 2025, suspending military operations in parts of Gaza to allow humanitarian aid deliveries.
Mediators - Egypt, Qatar, and the US - continued efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange. An agreement was reached in the early hours of October 9, 2025, between Hamas and Israel on the first phase of a ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump in Sharm El-Sheikh, with Egyptian, US, and Qatari mediation and Turkish support.
The second phase of the agreement entered into force on February 2, 2026, after the completion of prisoner exchanges and the handover of the remains of the last Israeli detainee under the first phase. This allowed Palestinians to enter Gaza and enabled the exit of wounded individuals for treatment in Egyptian hospitals after the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing was reopened.