Aid ‘a lifeline’ for war-torn Gaza, UN chief says at Rafah border

Aid trucks waiting to cross from Egypt into Gaza are “a lifeline” which need to move into the war-torn Palestinian enclave as soon as possible, the UN chief says.

“These trucks are not just trucks, they are a lifeline. They are the difference between life and death for so many people in Gaza,” says UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as he visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing with Gaza to oversee preparations for the delivery of aid.

Cargo planes and trucks have been bringing humanitarian aid to Rafah for days, but so far none has been delivered to Gaza which has been under intense Israeli bombardment for almost two weeks since the deadly October 7 onslaught.

“To see (the aid trucks) stuck here makes me be very clear: what we need is to make them move… to the other side of this wall… as quickly as possible and as many as possible,” Guterres tells reporters at the crossing.

The UN chief says it must be “a sustained effort” with not just one convoy crossing but for many “to be authorized in a meaningful number to have enough trucks to provide support to Gaza’s people.”

The United Nations, he says, was “actively engaging with all the parties,” including Egypt, Israel and the United States, to get the trucks moving as quickly as possible.