(MENAFN- IANS) Rafah (Egypt), Dec 1 (IANS) A total of 2,781 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid have so far entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, the only linking point between Egypt and the Palestinian enclave, Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) said.

Ayman Walash, the manager of the SIS press centre for foreign media, told Xinhua news agency on Thursday that since the first relief convoy was allowed into Gaza on October 21, a total of 3,176 tons of medical materials, 1,308 tons of fuel, and 13,348 tons of food had been sent to Gaza through the Rafah crossing until Wednesday.

Some 10,359 tons of water, 3,203 tons of other relief aid, 137 tents, and 18 ambulances have also been transported to Gaza, Walash said.

An Egyptian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that 200 trucks were scheduled to cross into Gaza through the crossing every day during the ongoing ceasefire, but the Israeli intransigence caused some delays, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hamas and Israel agreed to prolong the humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip for an additional day, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced in a statement on Thursday.

--IANS

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