Relief Arrives In Gaza Through 'Rafah' Border As US, UK Request Israel To Delay Ground Offensive; Watch Video

Israel-Palestine Conflict:  In a major relief to war-torn Gaza, the first instalment of trucks carrying humanitarian relief crossed into the strip, after the Rafah border crossing connecting it to Egypt was opened on Saturday.

According to the preliminary reports, the gate will remain open for six hours, which will provide a humanitarian window for the UN, WHO and other aid agencies to pass the medicines, food, grain and other essentials. The passage however came after a long diplomatic tussle involving Israel, the Palestinian government, Egypt, the UN, the US and other stakeholders.

The United Nations said on Saturday that a convoy of 20 trucks which is carrying life-saving drugs will be delivered to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

“These trucks are not just trucks.

They are a lifeline.

They are the difference between life & death for so many people in Gaza.”

At the Rafah crossing, @antonioguterres appeals once again for aid trucks to be allowed into Gaza as soon as possible. https://t.co/L4fXVI2eBF pic.twitter.com/2j8epS29ku

— United Nations (@UN) October 20, 2023

Aid Insufficient: Says UN

However, underscoring the inadequacy of the aid, U.N. officials said that at least 100 trucks a day are needed in Gaza to cover urgent needs and that any delivery of aid needs to be sustained and at scale. Notably, around 450 trucks used to come laden with aid every day in Gaza before the conflict broke.

"The humanitarian situation in Gaza – already precarious – has reached catastrophic levels," U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement. "I am confident that this delivery will be the start of a sustainable effort to provide essential supplies – including food, water, medicine and fuel," he added.

Israel has besieged Gaza since a brutal attack by Hamas killed 1500 of its citizens and sparked the deadliest war since 1973's Yom Kippur War. The counter-attack by Israel has resulted in as many as 3,500 deaths in Gaza and shattered the highly dense region into rubble.

US, UK pushing Israel to delay 'ground offensive' in Gaza
As hundreds of tanks and armed soldiers amass near the Gaza border, anticipating approval from both the political leadership and military high command to initiate a 'ground offensive,' The Times of Israel in a report, on Saturday, revealed that the US and Europe are discreetly urging Israel to postpone the mission.

The request stems from concerns that such a move could severely jeopardize ongoing efforts to secure further hostage releases in the foreseeable future. According to The Times of Israel, citing senior diplomatic officials, both the US and European governments acknowledge the likelihood of a ground invasion but are not advising Israel against launching one entirely. Instead, they are encouraging Israel to wait, hoping that additional diplomatic endeavours may yield positive results.