Egyptian authorities are preparing to reopen the Rafah crossing, the only route connecting the Gaza Strip to Egypt. For this, the work of distribution of aid has been expedited in North Sinai province bordering Gaza.
Hundreds of aid truck drivers wait for permission to deliver aid to Gaza near the Rafah crossing in the Egyptian city of Arish, Xinhua news agency reports.
The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel was signed in Doha on Wednesday. The agreement is expected to come into effect from Sunday.
Xinhua correspondents observed trucks filled with food, clothing, medical equipment, tents, mobile toilets and other relief supplies lined up in several towns in North Sinai, mainly in Arish, Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah, some of which Have been waiting for many months.
A security source said at least 500 aid trucks would enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing and the Israeli Abu Salem border crossing. He also said that Egyptian authorities have created several logistics centers.
According to a medical source, a blood donation campaign has been launched for injured Palestinians, while medical staff in all hospitals in Sinai are on high alert.
The source said that the hospitals in Arish, Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah are fully equipped and medical teams in 100 ambulances have been sent to the Rafah crossing to pick up injured Palestinians.
Meanwhile, a security source told Xinhua that Egypt has prepared heavy machinery to pave all roads and routes on the Palestinian side to immediately send humanitarian aid. An Egyptian Red Crescent source said more than 1,000 relief trucks were now ready to pass through the Rafah crossing.
L
Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar held a meeting on Friday to ensure the capacity of hospitals. According to the ministry statement, he ordered to increase the number of medical teams in the intensive care departments of hospitals in North Sinai.
Egypt’s Al-Qahera news TV channel reported that representatives of Egypt, Qatar, the US and Israel met in Cairo to establish a mechanism to implement the ceasefire agreement.
The mechanism will ensure the reopening of the Rafah crossing to transport injured Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid, the report said.
The World Health Organization has said that as the ceasefire comes into effect, more countries should come forward to accept additional patients for specialized treatment. More than 12,000 people are waiting to be evacuated for treatment outside Gaza as more than 15 months of conflict has left the health system at a standstill.
