Dozens of trucks carrying aid enter Gaza from Egypt through the Kerem Shalom border crossing

Dozens of trucks carrying aid entered the Gaza Strip from Egypt this Sunday through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom border crossing, including fuel, several Egyptian sources said.

The trucks, each loaded with approximately 20 tons of foodas well as four tankers, began last morning from Egyptian territory to enter the corridor leading to Kerem Shalom, where they are being inspected by Israel, security sources and the Egyptian Red Crescent said.

This is the first time Egypt has sent aid to Gaza since Israel took over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, in the south of the enclave and bordering the Sinai Peninsula, 20 days ago.

Egyptian Red Crescent sources have confirmed this to be the case four tankers and 80 trucks with food, and they do not rule out that the number of trucks sent to Kerem Shalom during the day could reach between 200 and 300.

“The trucks, each carrying between 15 and 20 tons of food, will be delivered to the United Nations on the Palestinian sidesaid a source from the Egyptian Crossings Administration, who asked not to be identified.

Hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks, mostly loaded with food, were abandoned stranded in Egypt without being able to enter the Gaza Strip since last May 7, when Israel took the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, where most of the aid to Gaza enters.

The sending of aid from Egypt comes as Cairo, along with the United States and Qatar, which mediate between Israel and Hamas, prepares to begin a new round of talk indirect measures to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that would allow the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners and the access of sufficient amounts of aid to the residents of Gaza.