Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt has dispatched its 124th humanitarian aid convoy to the Gaza Strip, delivering more than 7,060 tonnes of assistance as international agencies warn that conditions inside the enclave continue to worsen amid ongoing Israeli restrictions and military operations.
The convoy, organized by the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) under its Zad El-Ezza: From Egypt to Gaza initiative, crossed into Gaza on Monday carrying a wide range of food, medical, and relief supplies. According to the ERC, the shipment included more than 4,500 tonnes of food parcels and flour, 1,400 tonnes of medical and general relief supplies, 160 tonnes of baby formula, and approximately 1,000 tonnes of fuel intended to support hospitals, bakeries, and essential services.
In addition to life-saving essentials, the convoy delivered winter assistance as temperatures drop and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain displaced. The shipment included 24,275 items of winter clothing, 28,850 blankets, 680 mattresses, and 540 tents, addressing acute shelter shortages after months of intense fighting and widespread destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure.
The ERC said the convoy forms part of Egypt’s sustained humanitarian response to the war on Gaza, noting that it serves as the national coordinator for Egyptian aid deliveries. More than 65,000 volunteers have participated in relief operations since the conflict began, supporting logistics, border operations, and aid distribution.
The latest delivery comes as Israeli military operations continue in Gaza, actions that aid agencies and regional actors say violate the ceasefire agreement brokered in October by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States. Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that continued restrictions on movement, fuel shortages, and insecurity are undermining relief efforts and pushing Gaza closer to irreversible collapse.
Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, Egypt has sent more than 45,000 aid trucks into the territory, carrying over 800,000 tonnes of humanitarian assistance, according to Egyptian authorities. Cairo says these shipments account for roughly 70 percent of all aid that has entered Gaza during the conflict, underscoring Egypt’s central role in sustaining the population amid the near-total breakdown of local supply chains.
The Zad El-Ezza initiative was launched by the ERC in July, following five months of a comprehensive Israeli land, sea, and air blockade that severely restricted food and fuel supplies. That blockade led to the first-ever United Nations-declared famine in the Middle East, with northern Gaza particularly affected by starvation and malnutrition.
Aid delivered under the initiative has included food parcels, flour, potable water, baby formula, medicines, medical equipment, hygiene kits, shelter materials, and fuel. Despite the scale of deliveries, UN agencies continue to stress that current aid volumes remain far below what is required to meet the needs of Gaza’s population, much of which has been displaced multiple times.
As diplomatic efforts to stabilize the ceasefire remain fragile, humanitarian actors warn that sustained, unrestricted access is essential to prevent further loss of life. For now, Egypt’s convoys remain a critical lifeline, operating against a backdrop of ongoing violence, logistical obstacles, and one of the worst humanitarian crises in the region’s modern history.
