Israel and Hamas truce opens path for Gaza humanitarian aid
Approximately 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid began entering the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom border crossing just 15 minutes after the ceasefire took effect, according to Jonathan Whittall, acting head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has become a reality. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that it had received a list of hostages to be released on Sunday as the first step in the truce between both sides, and it began informing their families about the details of the operation.
Gaza Strip: Humanitarian convoy sets off after ceasefire
Shortly after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect, the first convoy with humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip.
"A ceasefire finally came into effect in Gaza at 11:15 today. First trucks of supplies started entering just 15mins later," Whittall wrote in a post on platform X. Journalists from AFP reported that thousands of Palestinians began returning to the remnants of their homes shortly after the agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect.
Up to this point, such actions were extremely risky, as the participants of the convoy especially risked being fired upon by Israeli armed forces.
The war between Israel and Hamas had been ongoing since October 7, 2023, when Hamas orchestrated a massacre of Israeli civilians. The attack resulted in over 1,200 deaths, including citizens from more than 30 countries, and 251 people were abducted. In response to these events, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian authorities, over 46,000 civilians were killed, and more than 100,000 were injured as a result.
The Gaza Strip is devastated, facing a humanitarian crisis, and most residents have been forced to flee their homes. While the ceasefire marks a breakthrough, it divides Netanyahu's government. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, "There is no future peace, stability and security for both sides (Israel and Gaza) if Hamas stays in power." However, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated, "we insisted and were able to ensure, through a government decision, in the cabinet, and other ways, that the war would not end in any way, without achieving its full goals, foremost among them the complete destruction of Hamas in Gaza." He noted that if this does not happen, he will leave the government, which would lead to its collapse.
