Dozens of trucks carrying aid bound for Gaza moved from Egypt on Monday (July 28) for a second consecutive day, after Israel eased the blockade on the Palestinian enclave, Reuters reports.
Israel on Sunday (July 27) announced a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and new aid corridors as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped supplies into the enclave, where images of starving Palestinians have alarmed the world.
Military activity will stop daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (0700-1700 GMT) until further notice in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area along the coast, in central Deir al-Balah and in Gaza City, to the north.
The military said designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. starting from Sunday (July 27).
The Egyptian Red Crescent said on Monday it was sending 135 trucks, carrying around 1,500 tons of aid, to Gaza, including various food and personal care supplies.
Trucks marked with signs of Emirates Red Crescent, Qatar Charity and other international organisations were also seen making their way from Egypt towards Gaza.
Israel has been facing growing international criticism, which the government rejects, over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have broken off with no deal in sight.
Israel cut off aid to Gaza from the start of March to pressure Hamas into giving up dozens of hostages it still holds, and reopened aid distribution with new restrictions in May.
Israel says it has been allowing in aid but must prevent it from being diverted by militants and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's people.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, Israel's offensive has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials, reduced much of the enclave to ruins and displaced nearly the entire population.
