Egypt has raised concerns about Israel not cooperating in delivering aid to Gaza and evacuating foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing, which is the only entry point not completely controlled by Israel. This has resulted in hundreds of tons of supplies being stuck.
Egypt says the Rafah crossing, which is crucial for getting much-needed supplies into Gaza, is not officially closed but is currently inoperative due to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza side.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry emphasized the urgent need to ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. He stated that discussions with Israel have not been productive. Israel has not made a decision to open the Rafah crossing to allow aid and foreign citizens to enter or exit from the Gaza side.
Over 2 million people in Gaza have been under siege since Israel initiated a heavy bombardment and blockade in response to an attack by Hamas fighters.
Although there were reports of a ceasefire in southern Gaza for a few hours to facilitate aid and evacuations at Rafah, Israel denied this claim. According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, there is currently no ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza in exchange for evacuating foreigners.
On the ground at Rafah, there were no reported bombardments on Monday, and the Egyptian side of the crossing was prepared. Egypt intends to enable the normal flow of people through the crossing, including Palestinians seeking medical treatment or regular travel.
Numerous tons of aid from non-governmental organizations and various countries were waiting in trucks in the nearby Egyptian town of Al-Arish for conditions to allow entry into Gaza.
Additionally, Reuters video footage showed UN-flagged fuel trucks leaving Gaza for Egypt through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing.
