Hundreds of aid trucks await Israel's reopening of Rafah crossing into Gaza

Hundreds of aid trucks were ready to enter the Gaza Strip via Rafah once Israel reopens the crossing, the North Sinai governor said on Wednesday.

Israel closed off the Rafah crossing to humanitarian aid on Monday amid a dispute with Hamas over the return of the bodies of dead hostages.

“We are not only 100% ready, but 1,000% ready for any upcoming scenario or any instructions issued by the [Egyptian] state regarding the entry of humanitarian aid or the reception of the injured and wounded," said Khaled Megawer, the governor of the Egyptian North Sinai province, which borders Gaza.

Aid trucks already began rolling into Gaza through other crossings on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Israel threatened to cut by half the amount of humanitarian aid allowed in Gaza under the fragile ceasefire deal with Hamas.

The country retracted the threat after Hamas released four additional bodies on Tuesday night, three of which have been identified as belonging to dead hostages.

In an interview with Reuters, United Nations relief chief Tom Fletcher said Gaza needed a massive emergency aid boost to avoid further disaster on the ground.

“We have 190,000 metric tons of provisions on the borders waiting to go in and we’re determined to deliver. That’s essential life-saving food and nutrition,” Fletcher said.