Trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza wait for days at Rafah border crossing

In the Egyptian city of Al-Arish, hundreds of trucks wait for Israel to reopen the Rafah border crossing into the Gaza Strip. They’re carrying vital humanitarian aid but for now, they can’t go anywhere.

Ten days ago, Israel said it would allow 600 aid trucks to cross the border every day. So far, fewer than 100 have been allowed in.

“As you can see, we are sitting for long periods here in the desert,” says aid truck driver Fathy Fahmy. “We have been working like this in Al-Arish since the war started. We deliver all types of goods, from all types of clothes to blankets and food.”

The truck drivers say that Israel has been deliberately blocking assistance to the Palestinians, while a huge amount of food aid gets spoiled in the process.

“The source of trouble is that they turn us back several times, and then accept the aid after pressure from the Red Crescent,” says Mohamed Mostafa, another aid truck driver. “And they spend ages just to inspect the truck. Once, it took me seven months to deliver just one truckload, just waiting in the desert to deliver one cargo load.”

On Wednesday, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel must work with United Nations agencies to facilitate humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Israel has not allowed the UN agency in Gaza, known as UNRWA, to bring in its supplies since March. But the agency continues to operate in Gaza, running health centers, mobile medical teams, sanitation services and school classes for children. It says it has 6,000 trucks of supplies waiting to get in.

The agency has faced criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who say the group is deeply infiltrated by Hamas.