Egypt-Gaza border crossing opens, letting aid flow to Palestinians

The border crossing between Egypt and Gaza opened on Saturday to allow much-needed aid to flow to Palestinians short of food, medicine and water in the area under siege by Israel.

More than 200 trucks carrying approximately 3,000 tons of aid had been stationed at the border crossing for days before entering Gaza. An Associated Press reporter saw the trucks coming in.

Israel blockaded the area and launched waves of punitive airstrikes after Hamas militants’ Oct. 7 rampage on towns in southern Israel.

Many in Gaza, limited to eating one meal a day and without enough water to drink, are desperately waiting for help. Hospital staff also desperately needed medical supplies and fuel for their generators as they treated large numbers of people injured in the bombings.

Hundreds of foreign passport holders also waited to cross from Gaza into Egypt to escape the conflict.

Meanwhile, Israeli and Palestinian militants exchanged fire on Saturday after Hamas freed an American woman and her teenage daughter, the first of some 200 prisoners released after the militant group’s rampage on Israel on October 7.

Israel has sealed off the area for two weeks, forcing Palestinians to ration food and drink filthy water from wells. Hospitals say they are running low on medicine and fuel for emergency generators due to a nationwide power outage.

On the Gaza side, a line of empty flatbed trucks could be seen moving, perhaps in preparation for bringing in much-needed aid. The release came amid growing expectations of a ground offensive that Israel says is aimed at eradicating the militant group, which has ruled Gaza for 16 years. Israel said Friday it has no plans to take long-term control of the small territory, home to about 2.3 million Palestinians.

Work continued on Friday to repair the road at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, Gaza’s only entry point not controlled by Israel. Trucks unloaded gravel and bulldozers and other equipment were used to fill large craters.

But there also appeared to still be differences regarding the manner in which assistance was provided. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres was working with Egypt, Israel, the U.S. and others to overcome the impasse that prevented the trucks from entering, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters on Friday.

Guterres wants to ensure that significant numbers of trucks cross every day, that truckload inspections are expedited and that UN authorities have fuel to distribute supplies within Gaza.

More than 200 trucks and about 3,000 tons of relief supplies were stationed at the crossing. Israel said the supplies could only go to civilians and that it would counter any diversions by Hamas. It was unclear whether fuel for the hospital generators would be allowed.