EU says over 2,000 trucks carrying Gaza aid stuck on Rafah border

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - More than 2,000 trucks carrying humanitarian aid and commercial goods are stuck on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, the EU's directorate-general for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid said on Tuesday.

"More than 2,000 trucks carrying humanitarian aid and commercial goods are waiting in Egypt, ready to enter Gaza," it said in a statement on X. "Due to intense military operations, the Rafah crossing remains closed. The EU advocates for sustained, unimpeded, and safe humanitarian access."

The crossing has been closed since Israel’s military launched an operation in the southern city of Rafah on May 6.

The war that started last October after Hamas launched a cross-border offensive on Israel has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured many more.

Israel has also destroyed much of the Gaza Strip, and imposed a strict blockade on the enclave, bringing its population of more than 2 million on the verge of famine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war.

It had also asked Israel to maintain open the Rafah crossing for “unhindered provision" of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.