17 more trucks carrying aid enter Gaza from Rafah crossing

Cairo: As many as 17 trucks carrying aid entered into the Southern Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, on the second day of its opening, Times of Israel reported on Sunday.

The convoy comes a day after 20 trucks carried medical aid, food and water into the Palestinian enclave.

Notably, it was the second aid shipment into the Strip since the horrific Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

The aid entered the Strip ahead of Israel's looming ground offensive and as the IDF continued to carry out airstrikes on terror targets.

The Rafah border crossing was opened for a short window on Saturday morning to let 20 aid trucks enter Gaza from Egypt.

Though many have welcomed the brief reopening, rights groups have asserted that much more aid is needed.

The United Nations has estimated about 100 trucks per day are needed to meet the needs of Gazans.

The trucks carrying humanitarian aid to deliver to Gaza only carried food, water, and medical supplies but no fuel, CNN reported.

Thirteen trucks were carrying medicine and medical supplies; five were loaded with food; and two were transporting water, said the Egyptian authorities at the Rafah crossing.

Meanwhile, the number of confirmed hostages abducted and held in Gaza since the shock assault rose to 212.

Earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces said that it carried out an airstrike against a Hezbollah position in southern Lebanon in response to anti-tank guided missile attacks on northern Israel earlier today, Times of Israel reported.

Meanwhile, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari informed that the military has so far notified the families of 212 hostages that their loved ones are being held in the Gaza Strip, Times of Israel reported.

He says the number is not final as the military investigates new information on those missing. The number does not include Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie, who were released by Hamas on Friday night.

Israel says its offensive is aimed at destroying Hamas's infrastructure, and has vowed to eliminate the entire terror group, which rules the Strip. It says it is targeting all areas where Hamas operates while seeking to minimise civilian casualties, and has urged residents of northern Gaza to evacuate southward ahead of the expected ground offensive, Times of Israel reported.