Egypt's Rafah crossing to open Sunday with 600 aid trucks expected to enter Gaza

Cairo, Jan 18 An Egyptian security source told Xinhua on Saturday that the Rafah crossing, the only channel linking the Gaza Strip with Egypt, will be reopened on Sunday.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that about 600 aid trucks are expected to enter Gaza via the crossing on Sunday, as per the ceasefire-for-hostage release deal.

The long-awaited ceasefire between Hamas and Israel reached Wednesday is set to take effect Sunday at 8:30 am local time (0630 GMT).

Machines have been working near the crossing area to rehabilitate the internal roads leading to Gaza, said the source.

Another source from the Egyptian Red Crescent teams in North Sinai confirmed to Xinhua news agency that some 600 aid trucks carrying medical assistance, tents, and field hospital modules, along with another 50 trucks loaded with fuel, are expected to enter Gaza after inspection by the Israeli side.

Egyptian Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar is currently visiting the crossing to oversee preparations for receiving wounded Palestinians from the Strip, the source from the Egyptian Red Crescent added.

Ahmad Samir, a provincial health official of North Sinai said that hospitals in Arish, Sheik Zuweid, and Rafah are fully prepared to receive the wounded.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli government approved a ceasefire agreement aimed at the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, following a lengthy cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister's Office said.

At the meeting, 24 ministers voted in favour and eight against.

Three Israeli women held in Gaza and 95 Palestinian prisoners are set to be released on Sunday as part of the deal's first phase.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the meeting that he was assured by US President-elect Donald Trump that Israel would receive a halted arms supply once he takes office, reported Channel 12 News.

"This is important because if we do not reach the second phase of the deal, we will have additional tools to return to fighting," Netanyahu said. "Trump is giving Israel full backing to return to war in case of a violation of the agreement."

The full cabinet meeting was held after Israel's restricted security cabinet voted in favour of the Gaza ceasefire-for-hostage agreement on Friday.

Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, two far-right ministers, opposed the agreement and demanded a government commitment to resume fighting in Gaza once the first phase of the deal, in which Hamas would release 33 Israeli hostages, is completed.

Disputes have been resolved, Hamas said on Friday, a day after the group affirmed its commitment to the full terms of the accord in a statement.

Source: IANS