Ninth Egyptian aid convoy heads to Gaza as ‘worst-case scenario’ famine unfolding

CAIRO – 6 August 2025: The ninth convoy of Egyptian aid trucks has departed from the Rafah border crossing toward the Gaza Strip, according to an official from the Egyptian Red Crescent.

The convoy is part of the ongoing “Zad Al-Izza: From Egypt to Gaza” initiative aimed at easing the severe humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave, home to more than 2 million Palestinians affected by the prolonged Israeli war.

The convoy includes multiple trucks loaded with essential supplies such as flour, legumes, dairy products, food baskets, tents, water, and power generators. It also carries aid provided by the National Alliance for Civil Development Work.

While the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing remains open, Israeli forces have kept the Palestinian side sealed, further complicating the delivery of aid to civilians inside Gaza.

The 8th convoy of Egyptian Red Crescent's aid trucks has departed from the Rafah border crossing toward the Gaza Strip, 5 August 2025 - ERC

Thousands of aid trucks remain lining up at the Rafah crossing ready to deliver aid for starving Gazans but Israel has only allowed a portion of them to enter since announcing a partial pause in fighting in some areas and the establishment of humanitarian corridors last week.

Israel had completely blocked aid deliveries to Gaza for nearly three months from March to late May after shattering a ceasefire with Hamas that allowed the entry of thousands of aid trucks.

Israel Starving Gaza

Thee United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has issued an alert, warning that “the worst-case scenario of Famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip.”

“Conflict and displacement have intensified, and access to food and other essential items and services has plummeted to unprecedented levels,” the IPC said.

It shed light on the situation regarding malnutrition on the ground, stating that over 20,000 children have been hospitalized due to acute malnutrition between April and mid-July, including over 3,000 severely malnourished.

Gaza’s health ministry noted on Wednesday that mass starvation and malnutrition due to Israeli aid restrictions have killed 193 people, including 96 children.

While famine is unfolding in Gaza, Israel has allowed only a few dozen aid trucks to enter the enclave each day over the past week, far below the 500 to 600 trucks per day the UN says are needed to avert starvation.

Michael Fakhri, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, has accused of Israel of deliberately starving Gaza throughout the war.

He told The Guardian that governments and corporations should not act as if they are surprised at the horror now unfolding.

“Israel has built the most efficient starvation machine you can imagine. So while it’s always shocking to see people being starved, no one should act surprised.”

“Israel is starving Gaza. It’s genocide. It’s a crime against humanity. It’s a war crime.”

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has described Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “a war of starvation, genocide, and an attempt to eliminate the Palestinian cause.”

Speaking at a press conference in Cairo on Tuesday alongside Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, Sisi slammed claims that Egypt has blocked aid bound for Gaza, calling the accusations “baseless.”

The president emphasized that Egypt is responsible for over 70% of the humanitarian aid that has entered the enclave.

Sisi noted that prior to the war, between 600 and 700 aid trucks carrying food and essential supplies were entering Gaza daily. “Imagine reducing that number to the point of reaching zero over the past 21 months,” Sisi said.

He added that more than 5,000 aid trucks are currently in Egyptian territory ready to enter Gaza from Egypt and other countries but are hindered due to the presence of Israeli forces on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.