The Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) said on Wednesday January 7,2025 it had dispatched its 111th aid convoy to Gaza, carrying more than 6,160 tonnes of humanitarian assistance as winter conditions worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis in the Strip.
The convoy included food, medical supplies, fuel, and winter relief items, the organization said. According to the ERC, the shipment comprised about 2,950 tonnes of food parcels and flour, more than 1,470 tonnes of medicines and medical and relief supplies, around 1,670 tonnes of petroleum products, over 70 tonnes of personal-care items, as well as 37,900 items of winter clothing, 9,900 blankets, and more than 3,280 tents.
The ERC has served as Egypt’s main coordinating body for humanitarian aid to Gaza since the start of Israel’s genocidal war in October 2023. Egyptian authorities say more than 780,000 tonnes of assistance have been delivered through the Rafah and Karm Abu Salem crossings over more than 760 consecutive days.
The aid effort has involved coordination with dozens of countries and has been supported by hundreds of relief flights and maritime shipments, according to official figures. Egypt has also facilitated the entry of ambulances into Gaza, supplied fuel, and supported the deployment of field hospitals, alongside medical and relief services.
The latest convoy comes as humanitarian conditions across the Palestinian territories continue to deteriorate. On Monday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said more than 12,000 Palestinian children remain forcibly displaced in the occupied West Bank due to ongoing Israeli military operations in the northern governorates.
UNRWA said the displacement follows an Israeli military campaign codenamed Iron Wall launched in January that began in the Jenin refugee camp and later expanded to camps in Tulkarm and Nablus. The agency said it introduced an emergency education programme earlier this year to support displaced children through temporary classrooms, remote learning, and psychosocial assistance. About 48,000 Palestinian children are currently enrolled in UNRWA schools across the West Bank.
Separately, the Foreign Press Association (FPA) criticized Israel this week for continuing to bar foreign journalists from independent access to Gaza, despite legal proceedings on the issue.
In a statement, the association said it was “profoundly disappointed” by the government’s position after Israel argued before its Supreme Court that restrictions on foreign media should remain in place for security reasons, even during a ceasefire.
The submission came in response to a petition filed by the FPA, which represents hundreds of international journalists working in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The group said Israel’s continued ban prevents independent reporting and leaves foreign media reliant on limited, escorted access or second-hand accounts from inside Gaza.
Ahram Online
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