As the Financial Times wrote, Washington and regional powers are pressuring Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and open the Rafah border crossing to third-country passport holders.
The Rafah crossing is the only border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Over the past few days, hundreds of thousands of people have moved from Gaza City and surrounding areas south, near the border with Egypt. On Monday, hundreds of dual nationals waited for several hours at a closed border crossing, but many of them left in the afternoon, having given up hope that the border crossing would be opened.
The stalemate in the Gaza Strip
However, the two sides remain deadlocked even as the United Nations and other agencies warn of a humanitarian crisis.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said: “Unfortunately, the Israeli government has not yet taken a position that would allow the opening of the border crossing from Gaza to allow the entry of aid or the departure of third-country nationals.”
Rasmiya Ahmed, who holds dual Palestinian and Jordanian citizenship, said, according to the Financial Times: “I come here every day for three days, I wait, and nothing happens.”
The situation is tragic
Diplomats warned that reaching an agreement between the two sides would be difficult. As the British newspaper wrote, Egypt claims that it will allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, but insists that it will only allow people with dual citizenship to enter its territory. Meanwhile, some foreign officials say Israel is willing to allow people to leave Gaza for Egypt but opposes the flow of humanitarian aid.
The World Health Organization warns that without immediate assistance, a real catastrophe will occur in the Gaza Strip. – In the Gaza Strip, water, electricity and fuel remain for 24 hours, and if help does not arrive during that period, doctors will only be able to prepare death certificates, Ahmed Al-Mandhari, head of the regional branch of the World Organization. The World Health Organization said on Monday.
The European Commission’s press office in Brussels announced on Monday that the European Union will launch a “humanitarian air bridge” to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip. The first two flights will take place this week and will deliver, among other things: medicines and hygiene supplies.
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