Egypt’s 127th “Zad Al-Izza” aid convoy heads to Gaza via Rafah, bound for Kerem Abu Salem

CAIRO - 29 JANUARY 2026: Egypt began dispatching its 127th humanitarian aid convoy to the Gaza Strip on Thursday, January 29, 2026, with truckloads moving from the Rafah land port in North Sinai toward the Kerem Abu Salem crossing for onward entry into Gaza, according to Egyptian media reports citing an official source at the port.

The convoy is part of the “Zad Al-Izza from Egypt to Gaza” initiative and carries thousands of tonnes of relief supplies, including food baskets and fresh produce, medical supplies and medicines, personal care items, and shelter materials such as tents, blankets, and winter clothing. The shipment also includes fuel products, including gasoline and diesel, the reports said.

The Egyptian Red Crescent has continued to coordinate and marshal humanitarian assistance through its logistics hubs, operating as Egypt’s national mechanism for aid convoys since the start of the Gaza crisis in October 2023. The organisation has said tens of thousands of volunteers have supported its operations in Sinai to facilitate the movement and staging of assistance.

Thursday’s dispatch follows a series of recent convoys, including the 126th convoy that entered Gaza on Wednesday, January 28, and the 124th convoy sent earlier this week, reflecting a sustained pipeline of Egyptian relief shipments routed via Rafah and onward to Kerem Abu Salem for entry procedures.

Aid access into Gaza has repeatedly tightened and eased with shifts in ceasefire talks and military developments. On March 2, 2025, Israel blocked the entry of aid trucks during a standoff over the next phase of a truce, Reuters reported at the time. In mid-March 2025, Israel resumed intense airstrikes after ceasefire extension efforts faltered, further compounding humanitarian pressures inside the enclave.

In May 2025, the United Nations said it would not participate in a U.S.-backed aid operation for Gaza, citing concerns over humanitarian principles, while Israel said it would facilitate the effort without being involved in deliveries.