Preparations to open the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip were in full swing on Friday, according to Egyptian security sources.
Preparation are being done on both sides of the border to pave way for the trucks to enter easily into the Gaza Strip, in anticipation of its reopening, senior sources said.
The move aims to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian, medical and food aid to Gaza, the sources added.
Dozens of trucks carrying aid are already positioned on the Egyptian side, ready for immediate transfer once the crossing is operational.
On Wednesday and following more than 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip, Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of more hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The ceasefire was planned to take effect on Sunday, though it remained unclear whether this timeline could be met. It is initially set to last for 42 days.
During this time, 33 of the 98 hostages still held by Hamas are to be returned – though it is unclear how many of them are still alive.
In return, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released from Israeli jails.
The Israeli government’s approval of the negotiated agreement is still pending.
Khaled Zayed, head of the Egyptian Red Crescent in North Sinai, confirmed to dpa that no humanitarian aid was sent through Kerem Shalom on Friday, which is still closed.
Israel’s army had occupied the Rafah border crossing on the Palestinian side in May last year.
Following the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) called for unrestricted access to deliver urgently needed food and aid to the region.
According to the WFP, about 80,000 tons of food is waiting outside Gaza or en route, which is enough to feed more than 1 million people for three months.
According to UN figures, more than 90% of the 2 million residents in the Gaza Strip are suffering from severe hunger. There is also a lack of drinking water, emergency shelters and medicines.
