Cairo: The Egyptian Red Crescent announced that, on the 273rd day of its aid convoy operation, trucks departed for the Gaza Strip carrying over 3,324 tons of diverse humanitarian assistance.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the organization stated that the cargo included food baskets, flour, relief supplies, medical equipment, and medicines, alongside petroleum products required to operate hospitals and other vital facilities. The Egyptian Red Crescent has served as the national mechanism for coordinating and dispatching aid to Gaza since October 2023, keeping the Rafah crossing continuously open and mobilizing 65,000 volunteers across its logistical hubs.

Israeli occupation forces closed Gaza's border crossings on March 2, 2025, following the lapse of the first ceasefire phase; breached the truce with heavy strikes on March 18; and re-invaded previously evacuated areas. Occupation authorities also barred the entry of aid trucks, fuel, shelter materials, and heavy debris-clearing equipment, before resuming aid deliveries in May 2025 through a mechanism operated by Israeli authorities and a US security firm, despite objections from UNRWA.

The Israeli military announced a temporary 10-hour tactical pause on July 27, 2025, suspending operations in select areas to allow humanitarian deliveries. Mediators Egypt, Qatar, and the United States pursued efforts to secure a comprehensive ceasefire and captive exchange, culminating in an agreement on October 9, 2025, on the first phase of the Sharm El-Sheikh plan, brokered with Turkish participation.

The second phase took effect on February 2, 2026, following completion of the captive exchange and the return of the remains of the final Israeli captive, enabling Palestinians to enter Gaza and allowing wounded individuals to exit for medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals, after the Palestinian side of the Rafah land crossing was reopened.