235th Egyptian humanitarian aid convoy departs for Gaza

CAIRO - 15 July 2026: The 235th humanitarian aid convoy, dubbed "Zad Al-Ezza... From Egypt to Gaza," departed on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in preparation for delivering assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The convoy is heading through the secondary gate of Rafah Land Port toward the Karam Abu Salem crossing as part of Egypt's ongoing efforts to ease the humanitarian crisis facing more than two million Palestinians in Gaza.

A senior Egyptian Red Crescent official said the convoy carries large quantities of humanitarian and food assistance, including food supplies, food baskets, flour, fresh bread, legumes, canned food, medicines, personal hygiene items, tents, clothing and petroleum products.

The official noted that the trucks are subject to inspection by the Israeli authorities before being allowed into the enclave.

Israeli authorities closed all crossings into the Gaza Strip on March 2, 2025, following the end of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and the failure to reach a deal to extend the truce. Israel resumed intensive airstrikes on March 18, 2025, and re-launched ground operations in several areas of the Strip from which its forces had previously withdrawn.

The closures prevented the entry of humanitarian aid, fuel and shelter supplies for displaced Palestinians who lost their homes during the war. Israeli authorities also barred the entry of heavy equipment needed for rubble removal and reconstruction.

Aid deliveries resumed in May 2025 under a mechanism implemented by the Israeli authorities and a US private security company, despite objections from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which said the mechanism did not comply with the established international humanitarian framework.