More food, fuel comes in, but Gaza awaits medicine, heavy machinery
Since we arrived at this location in southern Gaza, we’ve seen more trucks carrying supplies coming in. These are inside cardboard boxes and carry stuff that are complementary to those that have come in during the past week.
Five fuel trucks have also come in since we arrived. But some much-needed supplies, including medication that is needed to save the lives of many patients are still not coming in.
We’re not seeing any of the heavy equipment and machinery, including trucks and bulldozers, or any mobile homes coming in from the border. They are on the other side of the borders and waiting for Israeli security clearance, which has not come yet.
These heavy machines are needed before the mobile homes and trailers and caravans, because they need to clear much of the rubble across Gaza, particularly in the north.
In Rafah, as well, many of the roads are still blocked by mountains of rubble that need to be cleared.
Israel rejects transfer of mobile homes, heavy equipment to Gaza
Omer Dostri, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says “there will be no entry of mobile homes or heavy equipment into the Gaza Strip, and there is no coordination for this”.
“Also, according to the agreement, no goods are allowed to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing,” Dostri said in a post on X.
Gaza medical evacuations still far below number agreed in truce, official says
A total of 452 patients and 620 people accompanying them have left Gaza in the 12 working days since the Rafah crossing reopened for medical evacuations, the head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, Salama Maroof, says in a statement on X.
Maroof said the average of 90 travellers a day remains far below the departure of 150 patients and their companions per day stipulated under the ceasefire signed between Israel and Hamas.
He said about 15,000 patients still require medical evacuation from Gaza.
The director general of hospitals in Gaza, Dr Mohammed Zaqout, told Al Jazeera in a previous statement that Israel is preventing a significant number of patients from leaving the strip.
Eyes on Arab plan on Gaza amid Trump threats
Adnan Hayajneh, professor of international relations and US foreign policy at Qatar University, says that both sides in the Gaza conflict will be winners as the ceasefire deal appears to be back on track.
All sides must now be focused on coming up with plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, Hayajneh told Al Jazeera, but the professor said he is not sure that can happen immediately, considering the remarks by US and Israeli leaders.
“The Saudis are leading the Arab world and everybody is waiting for them, including Jordan and Syria and Egypt, to introduce a plan,” Hayajneh said, adding that a meeting between Arab leaders is expected soon.
“They will be thinking about what to do about Gaza and this will be introduced as a counterplan to Trump’s proposal,” he added.
He said it remains unclear what Trump wants to do with the second and third phases of the agreement.
“Trump has bluntly said he will move Palestinians from Gaza to other countries and Netanyahu has suggested Saudi Arabia. This annoyed most of the countries because it is against the principle of the two-state solution and the peace process.”
Cars and pedestrians move along a road amid widespread destruction caused by the Israeli military’s ground and air offensive against Hamas in Gaza City’s Jabalia refugee camp
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