KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip. Israel announced on Wednesday that it will permit Egypt to deliver restricted amounts of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, marking a slight easing of the 10-day blockade on the region. This development follows a massive explosion at a Gaza City hospital that claimed hundreds of lives the day before, as Palestinians faced mounting desperation with dwindling food and water supplies.
The decision, which allows food, water, and medicine deliveries to civilians in the southern Gaza Strip while excluding Hamas militants, was made after a request from visiting U.S. President Joe Biden, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Notably, there was no mention of the much-needed fuel supply.
The timeline for aid delivery remains unclear, as truckloads of aid at the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s sole connection to Egypt, have been waiting for days. However, the crossing’s capacity has been limited, and it has reportedly been damaged by Israeli airstrikes.
Israel’s announcement came as anger over the hospital blast on Tuesday night at al-Ahli Hospital spread across the Middle East. This development coincided with President Biden’s visit to Israel, where he aimed to prevent a wider conflict in the region, which began when Hamas militants initiated a rampage across communities in southern Israel on October 7.
There were conflicting claims regarding the responsibility for the explosion. Hamas officials in Gaza quickly attributed it to an Israeli airstrike, reporting nearly 500 casualties. In contrast, Israel denied involvement and presented evidence indicating that the blast was the result of a rocket misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group in Gaza. Islamic Jihad disputed this claim.
The Associated Press has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence provided by the involved parties.
Upon his arrival, President Biden embraced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed concern for the suffering of Gaza’s civilians. He later stated that the hospital blast appeared not to be Israel’s fault, based on the information available.
Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel resumed shortly before Biden’s arrival, following a 12-hour lull. Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continued, even targeting cities in southern Gaza that Israel had designated as “safe zones” for Palestinian civilians.
After the hospital blast, Jordan canceled a meeting between Biden, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. As a result, President Biden visited only Israel.
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas was described as “pushing the region to the brink” by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. The Israeli military held a briefing to present its case for not being responsible for the al-Ahli Hospital explosion, emphasizing that it was not firing in the area when the incident occurred.
The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with thousands of casualties, massive displacement, and humanitarian needs reaching critical levels.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
