Gaza aid deal just the start, WHO says, as Palestinians await vital help
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that Egypt and Israel’s agreement to allow some aid into Gaza represented “a start,” as Palestinians living in the besieged enclave await much-needed help.
Gazans, many of whom were already reliant on aid, are yet to see the promised supplies as roads need to be repaired first.
Getting aid into Gaza will be “an absolute marathon,” Dr. Richard Brennan, the WHO’s Regional Emergency Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, added that there are “a lot of complexities to getting this aid operation going.”
US President Joe Biden struck the deal between Egypt and Israel on Wednesday, as anger rises globally over Israel’s siege of the isolated enclave in response to the brutal, coordinated Hamas attacks nearly two weeks ago.
The relentless bombardment has left hundreds of thousands homeless and sparked growing protests across the Middle East, heightening fears that the war could spiral into a wider regional conflict.
Speaking on his way back from visiting Israel, Biden said his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had agreed to open the Rafah Crossing into Gaza for humanitarian aid – the only one not controlled by Israel.
Up to 20 trucks from an aid convoy waiting for days at the closed border gate would be allowed into Gaza, Biden said. He said first deliveries were likely on Friday.
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