RAFAH, Gaza Strip. Egypt’s border crossing opened to allow a limited amount of desperately needed aid into besieged Gaza. The border between Egypt and Gaza was unsealed after being closed by Israel in response to the actions of a militant group, Hamas, two weeks ago. Only 20 trucks were permitted to enter, despite the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Aid workers have expressed concerns that this small delivery is inadequate.
Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, has been grappling with severe food shortages, contaminated drinking water, dwindling medical supplies, and fuel shortages for emergency generators due to a widespread power blackout. Israel continues to launch airstrikes on Gaza, destroying entire neighborhoods, while Palestinian militants fire rockets into Israel.
This border opening followed extensive diplomatic efforts involving visits by U.S. President Joe Biden and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the region. Israel had insisted on the release of captives held by Hamas before allowing aid into Gaza, leading to a shutdown of the Palestinian side of the crossing due to Israeli airstrikes.
Cindy McCain, head of the U.N.’s World Food Program, described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic” and emphasized the need for a continuous flow of aid. The Hamas-run government in Gaza also asserted that the limited aid convoy would not be sufficient to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe and called for a secure, round-the-clock corridor.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, claimed that the humanitarian situation in Gaza was “under control” and specified that the aid would be directed only to southern Gaza, where people have been ordered to relocate, while no fuel would be allowed in.
The Gaza conflict has led to over 1,400 casualties in Israel, primarily among civilians during the Hamas incursion, and a continuous barrage of over 6,900 rockets fired into Israel. In Gaza, more than 4,300 people have been killed, with thousands buried under rubble. The Hamas-run Housing Ministry reported that around 30% of all homes in Gaza have been destroyed or severely damaged.
The international community has expressed growing concern over the plight of civilians in Gaza, as world leaders work to address the ongoing crisis and push for a ceasefire. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi called for aid to Gaza, a ceasefire, and the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. King Abdullah II of Jordan condemned the air campaign and siege of Gaza as a “war crime” and criticized the international response. More than a million people have been displaced in Gaza, with some returning to the north due to ongoing bombings and challenging living conditions in the south.
The aid trucks that crossed into Gaza carried essential supplies, including drinking water, medical equipment, trauma medicine, and food, to address the immediate and immense needs of the population. The World Food Program stated that it has 930 metric tons of emergency food ready to be delivered through Rafah, aiming to expand food assistance from 520,000 people to 1.1 million in the next two months.
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.
