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Machinery to repair roads has been sent through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into the Gaza Strip in preparation for the delivery of some of the aid stockpiled in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, two security sources said today.
Rafah is the only crossing not controlled by Israel but has been out of operation since the first days of the conflict in Gaza following Israeli bombardments on the Palestinian side of the border.
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents depended on aid before the current conflict started on October 7, about 100 trucks daily were providing humanitarian relief to the enclave, according to the United Nations.
Western governments have been negotiating for the evacuation of foreign passport holders from Gaza, something Egyptian officials have conditioned on aid getting in. Details of potential evacuations are unclear.
It said it would continue a blockade of humanitarian aid from Israel into Gaza until hostages held by Hamas were returned.
Israel’s bombardment and siege of Gaza is in retaliation for a devastating Hamas incursion into Israel on October 7 during which 1 400 people were killed and hostages were taken.
Israel and Egypt have upheld a blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007, tightly controlling the movement of goods and people.