Rafah: A convoy of 179 humanitarian aid trucks began entering the Gaza Strip on Sunday, April 19, 2026, via Rafah Border Crossing, heading toward Karm Abu Salem crossing in preparation for delivery into the enclave, following a two-day pause due to the weekend.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the trucks, part of the 'Zad Al-Izza. From Egypt to Gaza' initiative, are carrying large quantities of humanitarian supplies, including food aid, flour, fresh bread, legumes, canned goods, medicines, personal care items, tents, and fuel. The source added that the shipments are subject to inspection by Israeli authorities before being allowed into Gaza.
Israeli authorities had closed crossings linking the Gaza Strip on March 2, 2025, after the first phase of a ceasefire agreement expired without a deal to extend it. The truce was later breached with heavy airstrikes on March 18, followed by renewed ground incursions into areas Israeli forces had previously withdrawn from.
Since then, authorities have restricted the entry of humanitarian aid, fuel, and shelter supplies for displaced civilians, and blocked the entry of heavy equipment needed for debris removal and reconstruction. Aid deliveries resumed in May 2025 under a mechanism implemented by Israeli authorities and a U.S. security company, despite objections from United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which said the system did not align with established international procedures.
The Israeli army later announced a temporary 10-hour humanitarian pause on July 27, 2025, to facilitate aid deliveries. Mediators - Egypt, Qatar, and the United States - continued efforts to broker a comprehensive ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.
An agreement between Hamas and Israel on the first phase of a truce was reached early on October 9, 2025, based on a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump during talks in Sharm El-Sheikh, with Egyptian, U.S., and Qatari mediation and Turkish support. The second phase of the agreement came into force on February 2, 2026, following the completion of prisoner exchanges and the handover of the remains of the last Israeli detainee under the first phase.
The deal allowed Palestinians to re-enter Gaza and enabled wounded individuals to leave for medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals after the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing was reopened.