CAIRO: Preparations were underway on Sunday for a ramp-up of aid entering the war-battered Gaza Strip under a new ceasefire deal that many are hoping will signal an end to the devastating 2-year-long war between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli defense body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza, COGAT, said the number of aid trucks entering the Palestinian territory was expected to increase on Sunday to around 600 per day, as stipulated in the agreement.
Egypt said it is sending 400 aid trucks into Gaza on Sunday.
The trucks will have to be inspected by Israeli forces before being allowed in.
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The UN has said it has about 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid ready to enter once Israel gives the green light.
Associated Press footage showed dozens of trucks crossing the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing.
The Egyptian Red Crescent said they carried medical supplies, tents, blankets, food, and fuel.
The trucks will head to the inspection area in the Kerem Shalom crossing for screening by Israeli troops.
Expanding Israeli offensives and restrictions on humanitarian aid have triggered a hunger crisis, including famine in parts of the territory.
The UN has said it has about 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid ready to enter once Israel gives the green light.
Abeer Etifa, a spokeswoman for the World Food Program, said workers were clearing roads inside Gaza on Sunday to facilitate delivery.
The fate of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli- and US-backed contractor that replaced the UN aid operation in May as the primary food supplier in Gaza, remains unclear.
Food distribution sites operated by the group in the southernmost city of Rafah and central Gaza were dismantled following the ceasefire deal, several Palestinians said on Sunday.
Israel and the US had touted GHF as an alternative system to prevent Hamas from taking over aid.
However, its operations were mired in chaos, and hundreds of Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire while heading to its four sites.
The Israeli military has said its troops fired warning shots to control crowds.
A GHF representative said in a statement that there might be “tactical changes in GHF operations and temporary closures of some distribution sites” during the transfer of hostages to Israel, but “there is no change to our long-term plan.”
Palestinians continued to move back to areas vacated by Israeli forces on Sunday, although many were returning to homes reduced to rubble.
Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed a line of vehicles traveling north to Gaza City.
The photos taken on Saturday showed a line of vehicles on Al Rashid Street, which runs north-south along the Gaza Strip’s coastline on the Mediterranean Sea.
Tents along the coast also could be seen near Gaza City’s marina.
Many people have been living along the sea to avoid being targeted in the Israeli bombardment of the city.
Armed police were seen in Gaza City and southern Gaza patrolling the streets and securing aid trucks driving through areas from which the Israeli military had withdrawn, according to residents. The police force is part of the Interior Ministry.
The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90 percent of its 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests, and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
While both Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza welcomed the initial halt to the fighting and plans to release the hostages and prisoners, the longer-term fate of the ceasefire remains murky.
Amjad Al Shawa, who heads a Palestinian organisation coordinating with aid groups, estimated that 300,000 tents would be needed to house 1.5 million displaced Gazans temporarily.
"We couldn't believe the destruction we have seen," Rami Mohammad-Ali, 37, said by phone after walking 15 km with his son from Deir Al-Balah to Gaza City.
"We are joyful to return to Gaza City but at the same time we have bitter feelings about the destruction," he said, describing seeing human remains scattered along roads.
Key questions about the governance of Gaza and the post-war fate of Hamas have yet to be resolved.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X that he had instructed the Israeli military to prepare to begin destroying the network of tunnels built by Hamas under Gaza “through the international mechanism that will be established under the leadership and supervision of the US” once the hostages are released.
