Today's Edition
Abdullah Abu Daif (Rafah, Cairo) - As the humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip reaches its final day on Wednesday, after it was previously extended for an additional two days, efforts are still persisting to extend it further.
Humanitarian aid has been reaching the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and the evacuation of injured people, who will receive treatment in Egyptian hospitals, continues.
Kazem Abu-Khalaf, UNRWA spokesperson, said that strenuous efforts are being made by field teams to determine the scale of the needs in the Gaza Strip during the temporary truce days, which temporarily stopped the military escalation in the sector.
He pointed out that despite the increase in the number of humanitarian aid trucks reaching the area, the required amount far exceeds the number currently allowed to enter. The UNRWA spokesperson told Aletihad that field teams are working around the clock to ensure that the aid reaches its deserving recipients inside the Gaza Strip, especially in the north, which has witnessed the largest military escalation since the beginning of the crisis on October 7.
He emphasised that enabling hospitals’ operations is a top priority. The UNRWA spokesperson stressed the importance of the field hospitals being set up in the Gaza Strip, especially since most of the hospitals in the sector, particularly those in the north, are out of service.
These hospitals were a target of numerous military operations, and they were additionally impacted by the complete exhaustion of fuel, resulting in partial or full suspension of work. He confirmed the importance of continued efforts from all parties to extend the humanitarian truce in the coming period and stop military escalation in all its forms from all sides.
Abu-Khalaf also stressed the need to improve access for relief organisations and UNRWA to rescue those under the rubble and operate hospitals, as they are crucial actors for treating civilians and children.
