Aid trucks stuck at Rafah border

Dozens of aid trucks are waiting to enter Gaza but drivers say they've been stranded in Egypt’s city of Arish, just outside the Rafah border. It follows the latest Hamas and Israel standoff during the agreed ceasefire.

Aid trucks filled with tents and supplies are piling up in Egypt's city of Arish, near the Rafah border. It comes as political tensions between Hamas and Israel continue to derail efforts to deliver crucial assistance to Gaza.

Ahmed Hussein, a Jordanian truck driver, expressed his frustration, saying, "We arrived almost a month ago with tents for Gaza, but no aid has been allowed in. Most trucks are sent back from the Rafah crossing, and only a few get through. The claim that 200 or 300 trucks are entering daily is false. We're stuck here in Arish, with no support from the Red Crescent or customs. It's a political decision, and we're just waiting for relief."

Hamas has announced it would halt the release of Israeli hostages because it claims Israel is blocking vital humanitarian aid during the ceasefire deal which began on the 19th of January.

However Israel denies this accusation and says it's fulfilling its obligations claiming 600 aid trucks enter Gaza daily, carrying food, water, medical supplies, and shelter items.

Aid groups report increased humanitarian assistance since the ceasefire began.

Meanwhile, what's sitting on the trucks in Egypt are 60,000 mobile homes, 200,000 tents, and heavy machinery to clear rubble. 

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