According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 227 people have died from starvation and malnutrition as of Tuesday, nearly half of them children. Photo by WAFA from Gaza
CAIRO – 10 August 2025: Egypt dispatched its 14th humanitarian aid convoy toward the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning under the initiative “Zad Al-Izzah: From Egypt to Gaza,” as Cairo continues to condemn Israel’s use of widespread starvation in Gaza as a weapon of war.
A source at the Rafah crossing said the convoy is transporting thousands of tons of urgent food and relief supplies to the war-ravaged enclave, including food baskets, flour, legumes, canned meals, medical equipment, personal hygiene items, infant formula, drinking water, and more.
The aid trucks crossed from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing and proceeded to the Karm Abu Salem crossing in southeastern Gaza, where they are subject to inspection by Israeli forces before being allowed to proceed to civilians in the besieged territory.
The consecutive convoys aim to ease the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, where over two million Palestinians are enduring the devastating effects of two years of war amidst heavy Israeli restrictions on aid, which amounted to a full ban for nearly three months this year.
The humanitarian efforts come as Israel, which has killed more than 61,500 people in Gaza since the war began in 2023 and displaced the population, plans to expand its military operations to establish full security control over the enclave.
The scheme has drawn Arab and global backlash, including from Israel’s closest allies in the west like the United Kingdom as well as Germany that has decided to suspend all arms exports to Israel as a consequence, and ignited protests within Israel and abroad.
Under the planned operation, Israel would seize control of the densely populated Gaza City and forcibly displace nearly one million residents — a move that threatens to trigger further humanitarian catastrophes in an enclave already teetering on the edge of famine.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 227 people have died from starvation and malnutrition as of Tuesday, nearly half of them children.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty emphasized the urgent need to ensure a steady flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, strongly condemning what he described as Israel’s “systematic policy of using starvation as a weapon.”
Speaking at an expanded meeting with foreign media on Tuesday, Abdelatty accused Israel of blocking aid through the Rafah border crossing by occupying and controlling the Palestinian side of this vital transition point. He stressed that the crossing remains open at the Egyptian side.
Meanwhile, Egypt is hosting a delegation from Hamas in an effort to revive stalled ceasefire negotiations. Talks collapsed last month after the United States and Israel withdrew, despite reports suggesting a truce was closer than ever.
The delegation, led by Khalil Al-Hayya, head of Hamas’ political bureau, is expected to meet with Egyptian officials on Wednesday to discuss efforts to end the war and ensure aid delivery, according to Hamas spokesperson Taher Al-Nunu.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators are reportedly finalizing a new framework that would involve the release of all captives still held in Gaza in exchange for a full ceasefire, according to the Associated Press, citing two Arab officials last week.
Israeli media reported Tuesday that Israel is considering sending negotiators to Doha this week to discuss a comprehensive agreement that includes the release of all remaining captives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that current efforts are focused on reaching an all-inclusive deal to secure the release of all captives in a single phase.
“I want all of them,” he told Israel’s i24 News on Tuesday. “The release of all the hostages, both alive and dead — that’s the stage we’re at,” Netanyahu said.
While Israel has announced limited pauses in fighting in certain areas of Gaza to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid since late in July, humanitarians continue to warn that the aid reaching the enclave remains far from sufficient to address the widespread starvation.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) issued an alert on Tuesday, warning that starvation and malnutrition are “at the highest levels” since the start of the war.
On Wednesday, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,800 people seeking aid — many of them children — including at distribution centers operated by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
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