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

CAIRO - 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 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 told Xinhua that hospitals in Arish, Sheik Zuweid, and Rafah are fully prepared to receive the wounded.