Since a six-week ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant organization Hamas came into force on Sunday, more and more aid has been reaching the Gaza Strip, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
On Thursday alone, 653 lorries travelled to the Gaza Strip via the Erez and Zikim border crossings in the territory’s north and the Kerem Shalom border crossing in the south, OCHA reported, citing Israeli authorities and the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement.
According to UN figures, around 500 lorries a day delivered goods and aid to the Gaza Strip before the war began in October 2023.
Volunteers and aid workers were now reaching previously difficult to access areas, OCHA said, adding that working conditions had improved significantly. Aid organizations have been able to significantly expand the provision of life-saving aid and services.
The majority of the aid delivered to the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire came into force consists of food. However, further shipments of medicines, materials for shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene items are expected in the coming days.
The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed out of the coastal territory and killed some 1,200 people in southern Israeli communities.
Israel responded with massive bombardment of Gaza, laying much of the territory to ruins, and also launched a ground incursion with the aim to fully eradicate Hamas.
More than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to Palestinian estimates.
A fragile ceasefire went into effect on Sunday after months of stalled negotiations.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement provides for a rapid increase in aid deliveries for more than 2 million Gazans, 90% of whom are affected by hunger, according to UN figures.
The delivery of aid to Gaza has been difficult both due to Israel’s security concerns and their thorough inspections of cargo and due to looting of aid lorries by armed groups.
