Egypt Refuses to Let Americans Cross at the Rafah Crossing Until Aid Enters Gaza
The Egyptian authorities refused to allow holders of US citizenship to enter the Rafah crossing except as part of a broader agreement that eases the humanitarian suffering in the Gaza Strip, as the war entered its eighth day.
A number of US citizens, most of them Palestinians, had arrived at the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, where they waited for several hours, but they returned as they were unable to enter the crossing.
Why Does Egypt Refuse to Receive Gaza’s Residents?
The Washington Post published a report highlighting the main reasons preventing Egypt from receiving Gaza’s residents, even though the Rafah border crossing with Egypt is the only way out of the Strip.
The newspaper says the Egyptian government is concerned about security in the Sinai region and at the same time wants to avoid being seen as complicit in a campaign that could force Palestinians out of Gaza forever. Egyptian public opinion is also strongly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, an issue with a great capacity to ignite public anger in the country.
The newspaper points out that the security concern is also likely to be on the minds of the Egyptian authorities, as it would be difficult to prevent Hamas fighters from infiltrating into Egypt among groups of refugees.
A Change in the European Position on Gaza
A notable change appears to have occurred in European rhetoric. The French president tweeted that “in Gaza, as anywhere else, humanitarian law must be respected”.
The European Commission announced that it would immediately triple humanitarian aid to Gaza, which means an additional EUR 50 million (GBP 43 million) in humanitarian aid, for a total of EUR 75 million. This is although, days ago, the European Union had announced the suspension of aid to the Palestinians, claiming it feared the aid would reach Hamas militants, a decision that met strong rejection from Spain, Ireland and Luxembourg.
The Occupation Prepares for a Ground Assault after Killing 724 Palestinian Children
The occupation army is preparing for a comprehensive assault on the Gaza Strip by land, sea and air. Occupation media said the assault would begin tonight.
The Israeli army asked 1.1 million people in the north of the Strip to move to the south within the next 24 hours.
At the same time, the occupation is launching intensive air strikes under the claim of targeting Hamas leaders and infrastructure, but it seems that not one of Hamas’s leaders has been hit by a single bullet; meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed today, Saturday, that the death toll had risen to 2,215 citizens, including 724 children and 458 women.
Hamas Announces That 9 of Its Hostages Were Killed in the Bombardment
The Palestinian movement Hamas said today, Saturday, that nine hostages it holds had died during the past 24 hours as a result of the bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Saudi Arabia Temporarily Halts Normalisation Talks
After rejecting the “forced displacement” of Palestinians, Saudi Arabia decided to suspend normalisation talks with the occupation state against the backdrop of the war on Gaza. A source confirmed to Agence France-Presse that Riyadh had informed the US officials sponsoring the talks of this decision.
In a strongly worded statement, Saudi Arabia condemned the occupation forces’ continued targeting of defenceless civilians, and said that the Hamas attack came as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights and the repeated systematic provocations against its holy sites. Before the Hamas attack, Saudi Arabia and the occupation were close to normalisation.
Humanitarian Aid Arrives in Sinai While the Crossing Is Closed
Amid UN calls to intensify efforts to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, at least five planes carrying humanitarian aid arrived in Egyptian Sinai, according to Red Cross officials, and the World Health Organization said a plane carrying medicines and health supplies had also landed. Arish airport in Sinai is about 45 kilometres from the Gaza border, but the Rafah crossing remains closed.
Hamza Namira Calls for Donations to the Palestinian People
Egyptian artist Hamza Namira called for donations to the Palestinian people, saying: “The Palestinian people in Gaza are being subjected to a complete siege in Gaza; there is no water, no electricity and no fuel.” He added: “I invite you to donate to the Egyptian Food Bank and the Egyptian Red Crescent, and we are all with the Palestinian people.”
