As of Sunday, October 12, 2025, a significant surge in humanitarian aid deliveries to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip is actively being organized. This crucial effort follows a new ceasefire agreement, which many hope will finally bring an end to the devastating two-year conflict.
COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing humanitarian operations in Gaza, confirmed expectations for approximately 600 trucks of aid to enter the territory daily, in line with the terms of the new deal.
Egypt has announced its contribution of 400 aid trucks for Sunday. These vehicles will undergo inspection by Israeli forces before being permitted entry.
The Associated Press footage captured dozens of these trucks making their way across the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing. The Egyptian Red Crescent reported that these shipments contain essential medical supplies, tents, blankets, food, and fuel.
The aid convoys are directed to the Kerem Shalom crossing, where Israeli troops will conduct their screening process. In recent months, persistent fighting, border closures, and Israeli restrictions have severely hampered aid efforts, with the UN and its partners managing to deliver only 20% of Gaza’s critical needs.
The prolonged Israeli military operations and stringent aid restrictions have precipitated a severe hunger crisis, with parts of the territory now facing famine conditions.
The United Nations has a substantial reserve of approximately 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies, all prepared for entry into Gaza as soon as Israel grants final approval.
The status of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an Israeli and U.S.-backed contractor that had taken over as Gaza’s primary food supplier from the UN aid operation in May, remains uncertain.
Following the recent ceasefire, food distribution centers previously operated by the GHF in Rafah and central Gaza have been dismantled, according to several Palestinian reports from Sunday.
Hoda Goda, a past beneficiary of GHF sites in Rafah, described how locals had taken apart the structures, including the wood and metal fences once used by GHF staff to manage crowds.
Ehab Abu Majed, another Palestinian, confirmed the dismantling of a site in eastern Khan Younis, noting no food distributions had occurred there for two days. Ahmed al-Masri, residing in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, added that a third site in the Netzarim corridor area was also removed.
The GHF had been promoted by Israel and the United States as an alternative system to prevent Hamas from diverting aid. However, its operations were frequently plagued by disarray, with hundreds of Palestinians reportedly killed by Israeli gunfire while attempting to access its four sites. The Israeli military maintained that its troops fired warning shots to control the surging crowds.
A GHF representative declined to comment on these developments on Sunday.
Beyond humanitarian aid, efforts were also in motion on Sunday for the exchange of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.
A message dispatched on Saturday by Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for Hostages and the Missing, and confirmed by a hostage family to The Associated Press, instructed families to anticipate releases beginning Monday morning.
Hirsch detailed that hospitals and the Rei’im camp were fully prepared to receive surviving hostages, while the remains of deceased hostages would be sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.
An international task force is set to commence operations to locate any deceased hostages not returned within the initial 72-hour window, Hirsch stated, acknowledging that the search, particularly for bodies buried under rubble, could be time-consuming.
Israeli officials estimate that approximately 20 of the 48 individuals held hostage by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza are still alive. All surviving hostages are expected to be released on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who played a pivotal role in brokering the ceasefire, is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday morning. His itinerary includes meetings with hostage families and an address to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, as per a White House announcement.
Following his visit to Israel, Trump will proceed to Egypt. There, the office of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi confirmed that Trump would co-chair a “peace summit” on Monday, drawing participation from various regional and international leaders.
The precise schedule for the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel under the deal has not yet been disclosed. This group includes 250 individuals serving life sentences, alongside 1,700 people arrested in Gaza during the conflict and currently held without formal charges.
Meanwhile, Palestinians continued their return to areas from which Israeli forces had withdrawn on Sunday, often finding their homes reduced to rubble.
Satellite imagery analyzed by The Associated Press on Saturday depicted a continuous line of vehicles moving north towards Gaza City along Al Rashid Street, which follows the Gaza Strip’s Mediterranean coastline.
Tents were also visible near Gaza City’s marina, where many residents had sought refuge along the coast to escape Israeli bombardments.
In Gaza City and southern Gaza, armed police, affiliated with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, were observed patrolling streets and escorting aid trucks through newly vacated areas, residents reported.
The conflict originally escalated on October 7, 2023, following a surprise attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 250 individuals being taken hostage.