600 trucks to deliver aid to Gaza as Israel-Hamas truce begins easing life

In what is is expected to herald the long-awaited healing and the reconstruction process in the genocide-afflicted Gaza Strip, preparations are underway today, 12 October, to facilitate an increase in aid entering the war zone, following a new ceasefire agreement that many hope will end the devastating two-year conflict.

The Israeli defence body responsible for humanitarian aid in Gaza, COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), stated that the volume of aid entering the Gaza Strip is expected to rise on Sunday to approximately 600 lorries daily, as detailed in the agreement.

Egypt announced it would dispatch 400 aid lorries into Gaza on Sunday. These lorries are mandated to undergo inspection by Israeli troops before being permitted entry.

Footage from the Associated Press displayed numerous lorries crossing the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing. The Egyptian Red Crescent reported that the lorries contain medical provisions, tents, blankets, food, and fuel.

The lorries are to proceed to the Kerem Shalom crossing's inspection zone for screening by Israeli troops. In recent months, the United Nations and its partners have only managed to provide 20 per cent of the aid required in Gaza owing to ongoing hostilities, border closures, and Israeli restrictions on permissible goods.

Increasing Israeli offensives and limitations on humanitarian assistance have instigated a hunger crisis, with famine emerging in portions of the region. The United Nations has indicated that it holds around 170,000 metric tonnes of food, medicine, and additional humanitarian supplies ready to enter Gaza once given clearance by Israel.

But uncertainties loom large

The future of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a contractor supported by Israel and the US that took over from the UN aid operation in Gaza in May as the principal supplier of food, remains uncertain.

Food distribution locations operated by the organisation in the southernmost city of Rafah and in central Gaza were dismantled after the ceasefire, several Palestinians said on Sunday.

Hoda Goda, a Palestinian resident in Rafah, who previously attended GHF sites in Rafah earlier this year, told reporters that people had removed the structures and utilised timber and metal fences once used by GHF personnel to control crowds.

Another Palestinian, Ehab Abu Majed, reported that the site in eastern Khan Younis had also been dismantled, with no food distribution over the preceding two days. Ahmed al-Masri, a resident of the central Nuseirat refugee camp, said a third location in the Netzarim corridor had also been taken down.

The GHF had been promoted by Israel and the United States as an alternative mechanism to prevent Hamas’s control over supplies; however, its operations became mired in disorder, and hundreds of Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire while approaching its four sites. The Israeli military has stated, “its troops fired warning shots to control crowds”.

A GHF representative declined to comment on Sunday.

Preparations for hostage release, Trump visit

Preparations were also in progress on Sunday for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.

A message sent on Saturday from Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, and obtained by the Associated Press, instructed families to prepare for the release of hostages starting Monday morning. One family confirmed the note’s authenticity.

Hirsch stated, “Preparations in hospitals and in Rei’im camp were complete to receive the live hostages, while the dead will be transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.”

He added, “An international task force will start working to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within the 72-hour period.” Officials indicated that searching for the bodies of the deceased, some potentially buried under rubble, might require time.

Israeli authorities believe that roughly 20 of the hostages out of 48 held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza survive. All living hostages are expected to be released on Monday.

US President Donald Trump, who advocated for the ceasefire deal, is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday morning. He will meet with families of hostages and address the Knesset, according to a schedule released by the White House.

Trump will then proceed to Egypt, where Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s office has said he will co-chair a “peace summit” on Monday, attended by regional and international dignitaries.

No schedule has yet been announced for the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel under the agreement. These include 250 serving life sentences, in addition to 1,700 people captured from Gaza during the conflict and held without charge.

Gaza residents return home

Palestinians continued to return to areas vacated by Israeli forces on Sunday, with many coming back to dwellings reduced to rubble.

Satellite images analysed by the Associated Press displayed a line of vehicles heading north to Gaza City. Images taken on Saturday showed them travelling along Al Rashid Street, which runs north-south along Gaza Strip’s Mediterranean coastline.

Tents could also be seen along the seaside near Gaza City’s marina, as many people have been residing by the sea to avoid Israeli airstrikes targeting the city.

Armed police were observed patrolling in Gaza City and southern Gaza, securing aid lorries traversing regions recently evacuated by the Israeli military, according to residents. The police are part of the Hamas-run Interior Ministry.

Scale of destruction

The hostilities began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages.

Israel’s subsequent operations have officially killed over 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says about half the victims are women and children.

The war has devastated much of Gaza and displaced approximately 90 per cent of its two million residents. It has ignited further regional conflicts, global protests, and accusations of genocide — which Israel denies.

While both Israelis and Palestinians welcomed the initial cessation of fighting and forthcoming plans for the release of hostages and prisoners, the long-term prospects for the ceasefire remain unclear. Key issues, such as the governance of Gaza and Hamas’s post-war future, are yet unresolved.

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz posted on X that he had "instructed the Israel 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.

With AP/PTI inputs