What the Gaza blockade looks like through the eyes of Egyptian truck drivers and aid workers

Rafah, Egypt —

For nearly two years, Egyptian truck drivers have braved the only land crossing into Gaza outside Israel to deliver vital aid, but long delays, Israeli rejections and harsh border conditions are testing their resolve to continue serving Palestinians in the war-torn enclave.

The drivers spend weeks parked near the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, awaiting approvals from Israeli authorities to transport aid into Gaza. Once approval is granted, they are made to undergo a process of inspections on both sides of the border that Egyptian aid workers say often lasts almost 18 hours.

Upon receiving approval from the Egyptian side, the drivers take their trucks into a zone designated for inspections by the Israeli military south of the border, at the nearby Kerem Shalom cros