As Israel continued to delay the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, hundreds of trucks loaded with humanitarian aid have been stuck in the nearby Egyptian city of Al-Arish.
Despite Israel's announcement on Oct 15 that 600 aid trucks will be allowed to cross the border every day, so far only about 80 to 90 trucks have been passing through.
Fathy Fahmy, one of the aid truck drivers stationed in Al-Arish, shared his first-hand observations. Along with other truck drivers, he has been waiting for instructions to bring humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
"As you can see, we are sitting for long periods here in the desert. We have been working like this in Al-Arish since the war started. We deliver all types of goods, from all types of clothes to blankets and food," said Fahmy.
Many of the truck drivers testified that Israel has been deliberately blocking assistance to the Palestinians.
"The source of trouble is that they (Israelis) turn us back several times, and then accept the aid after pressure from the Red crescent. And they spend ages just to inspect the truck. Once, it took me seven months to deliver just one truckload, just waiting in the desert to deliver one cargo load," said Mohamed Mostafa, another truck driver.
A huge portion of the food aid spoiled during this process, he added.
Having witnessed the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, drivers said that delivering aid has been more than a job, but a genuine good cause.
"It was a beautiful place. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was building three cities inside the Gaza Strip under the Reconstruct Gaza Initiative, and I used to deliver steel. These cities were not built yet when it all turned into dust. A beautiful city and lovely people there," said Fahmy.
"All of them who have hungry kids would jump on the truck to get what they could get. They would even throw rocks on the truck to force it to stop. They are so desperate. And there's nothing we can do more than that. All we want is to do good deeds for the sake of God. That's it," said Mostafa.
Hundreds of aid trucks stuck in Egypt as Israel delays reopening of Rafah crossing
Iraq has seen its aviation industry dealt a huge blow because of continued airspace closures and flight suspensions amid regional hostilities triggered by the recent Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran.
As security concerns persist while tensions remain high, Iraq announced on Friday it would extend the closure of its airspace for one more week as uncertainty over the conflict continues to hang in the air.
It is estimated that the country's aviation industry has lost more than 43 million U.S. dollars over the past month since the crisis erupted, with the war causing huge disruption to air travel across the region.
"After the closure of Iraqi airspace, airport operations were halted, and revenue from both arriving and departing flights was lost. This includes income from passenger services as well as overflying aircraft, which has significantly impacted overall revenues," said Maytham al-Safi, director of media office of the Iraqi Ministry of Transport.
The impact is being felt across the board, from government revenues to private businesses, as some of the leading travel agencies say bookings have completely collapsed, with some reporting daily passenger numbers dropping from around 100 to just five.
"Our company has been directly affected. We have four branches and around 80 employees, and the impact has been significant. We still have rent and other expenses to cover, so we are trying to adapt to whatever limited business is still possible," said Ahmed Khalid, managing director of the Safari Trip travel and tourism company in Baghdad.
With air travel no longer an option, many Iraqis are turning to overland routes -- often traveling for hours, even days, to reach neighboring countries like Türkiye. But the journey is not only longer and more expensive, it can also be highly risky.
"This situation creates real anxiety for families. It's not only the travelers who are at risk, but also the vehicles transporting them. These journeys can be dangerous. There is always the risk of accidents or even drone strikes. At the same time, costs have doubled, so people are facing both financial and safety pressures," said Anwar al-Mousawi, a local resident.
For many, a sense of frustration is growing the longer the current situation drags on, as civilians bear the consequences of a conflict they are not part of, and with no clear timeline for reopening Iraqi airspace, economic losses and public frustration are expected to deepen.
"The reality is, we are in a country that is not part of this war and did not start it, yet we are the ones paying the price," said al-Mousawi.
Iraq's aviation industry left grounded as Middle East crisis continues
