Israel says will allow aid delivery to Gaza from Egypt

CAIRO – 18 October 2023: The office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will allow the entry of aid stranded in Egypt to Gaza amid unrelenting Israeli strikes on the enclave, which killed thousands of civilians.

Netanyahu’s office has not set a date for the aid entry but said Israel will “not thwart” the delivery of food, water and medicine to Gaza as long as they do not go to Hamas.

The Israeli office said its approval of aid delivery comes as per a request by US President Joe Biden, who made a solidarity visit to Israel on Wednesday.

Netanyahu's office said Israel will not send aid until hostages are released.

Hundreds of tons of aid have been stranded in Egypt’s North Sinai for days as Egypt reported that Israeli airstrikes have damaged the area of the Rafah border crossing from the Gazan side.

Egypt received aid from Jordan, Turkey, UAE and Tunisia as well as the World Health Organization (WHO). Also, Biden said in a press conference the US will provide aid worth $100 million for Gaza and West Bank.

Meanwhile, North Sinai Governor Mohamed Shosha said yesterday that aid provided by Egyptian NGOs and entities have totaled 3,000 tons.

The aid delivery to Gaza can mean the start of evacuation of third-country nationals from the strip. On Saturday, informed sources affirmed that Egyptian authorities have refused the evacuation of foreign residents from Gaza except as part of an aid delivery agreement.