218th humanitarian aid convoy enters Gaza

CAIRO - 19 June 2026: The 218th humanitarian aid convoy, “Zad Al-Ezza: From Egypt to Gaza,” began entering the Gaza Strip on Monday, June 22, 2026 through Rafah terminal toward Karam Abu Salem Crossing, in preparation for delivery into the enclave as part of Egypt’s ongoing efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis affecting more than two million Palestinians.

A reliable source stated that the convoy's trucks are carrying large quantities of food and relief supplies. This includes food parcels, flour, fresh bread, legumes, preserved foods, medicines, personal care items, tents, clothing and petroleum products.

The source noted that the trucks are subject to inspection by Israeli authorities before being allowed into the territory. Israeli authorities closed the crossings connected to the Gaza Strip on March 2, 2025, following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and the failure to reach an arrangement to extend the truce.

Military operations resumed on March 18, 2025, with intensive airstrikes and renewed ground incursions into areas from which Israeli forces had previously withdrawn.

Israeli authorities had also blocked the entry of humanitarian aid, fuel and shelter supplies for displaced residents and refused to allow heavy equipment needed for rubble removal and reconstruction efforts.

Aid deliveries resumed in May 2025 under a mechanism implemented by Israeli authorities and a US security company, despite objections from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which argued that the mechanism did not conform to established international procedures.

Mediators — Egypt, Qatar and the United States — continued efforts to secure a comprehensive ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange arrangement, culminating in an agreement between Hamas and Israel on the first phase of a ceasefire plan on October 9, 2025.

The second phase of the agreement entered into force on February 2, 2026, following the completion of prisoner exchanges and the handover of the remains of the last Israeli captive covered by the first phase. Under the arrangement, Palestinians were allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, while wounded and injured individuals were permitted to travel to Egyptian hospitals for treatment after the reopening of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.