The first batch of humanitarian aid supplies arrived in Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, the second day of the four-day temporary ceasefire in the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
The supplies carried by the convoy of three trucks that arrived in Gaza City are part of humanitarian aid supplies entering the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Border Crossing from Egypt since the temporary ceasefire took effect on Friday. This batch of aid supplies mainly include rice, sugar, flour and medical equipment.
“On the second day of the ceasefire, a first batch of trucks loaded with aid supplies arrived in Gaza City. Now we can see the aid supplies are being transported to a school warehouse operated by the local government,” said Osama Asama Ashi, correspondent of China Media Group (CMG).
Hamas on Saturday confirmed that a total of 340 trucks loaded with aid supplies had entered Gaza Strip through Rafah crossing since Friday. It noted that 65 of those arrived in northern Gaza, becoming the first batch of aid supplies entering the area since the latest round of Palestinian-Israeli conflicts broke on Oct 7.
An Egyptian official said seven trucks carrying fuel and four loaded with natural gas entered Gaza on Saturday. Previously, Israel banned the entry of any fuel into the Gaza Strip, alleging that the fuel could be used by Hamas for military purposes.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza City is severe after a large number of communities have been razed during relentless Israeli bombardments, leaving locals virtually in dire need of all life necessities.
Israeli troops have been conducting airstrikes and ground offensives in Gaza since Oct 7 in retaliation for a surprise attack by Hamas. Israel said some 240 hostages, mostly Israelis, were taken to Gaza by Hamas.
Under mediation by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas and Israel reached on Wednesday the four-day humanitarian ceasefire to force a temporary halt of the fighting between the two sides.
According to the ceasefire agreement, Hamas would release at least 50 Israeli hostages, mainly children and women, in exchange for 150 female and teen Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
The two parties had completed the first round of hostage swap on Friday. Hamas released 23 prisoners while Israel set free 39 Palestinians.
The Israeli military confirmed at Saturday midnight that the second batch of released hostages had entered Israel.
SOURCE: REUTERS