Title: Aid convoy to Gaza delayed over dispute, impacting hostage release
A convoy of aid trucks headed to Gaza has been delayed, impacting the release of hostages by Hamas, according to Israel and US officials. The delay is due in part to a dispute over the amount of aid entering the enclave.
Hamas has stated that it will wait for more trucks of aid to enter Gaza before facilitating the transfer of hostages, sources said.
An Egyptian official reported that 340 aid trucks entered the crossing from the Egyptian side but had not yet made it to the Gaza side, as they must be searched by Israel beforehand. A Rafah border crossing spokesperson informed CNN that 133 trucks have entered Gaza so far.
In response to the delay, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht commented that it is a “slow process” and stated, “It will take time, and we’re all waiting for this to move ahead.”
It is anticipated that a total of 13 hostages will be released in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners.