Egypt Agrees To Open Gaza Border For Aid: Joe Biden (image-instagram/potus)
Egypt President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has agreed to open the Al Rafah border crossing into Gaza and to let in almost 20 humanitarian trucks through, US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday.
Citing the road repairs, he said that the trucks will not cross till Friday. He was returning from a visit to Israel, where he had shown his solidarity over 7th October Hamas attack.
“They”re going to patch the road, they have to fill in potholes to get these trucks through. And that”s going to occur – they expect it will take about eight hours tomorrow,” he said to the reporters after calling Al-Sisi from Air Force One.
He then added that initially 20 trucks will be sent as humanitarian aid but will not allow Palestinian militant group Hamas to benefit from it. In total about 150 trucks will be sent but the decision will be made on how the ‘first tranche’ goes, reports ANI.
US President said that if Hamad tries to confiscate it, then no more humanitarian aid will be sent to Gaza. “That’s the commitment that I have made,” he said.
Biden was due to meet Al Sisi in the four-way summit in Jordan which was scheduled on Wednesday, but the meeting was cancelled after a deadly strike on a Gaza hospital which triggered anger across Arab World.
He wrote on X after his discussion with Al Sisi, “Earlier, I spoke with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt to deepen our coordination on urgently delivering humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza. Together, we”ll work to preserve stability in the region, prevent escalation, and set circumstances for durable peace”.
Earlier, I spoke with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt to deepen our coordination on urgently delivering humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza.
Together, we”ll work to preserve stability in the region, prevent escalation, and set circumstances for durable peace. pic.twitter.com/boZaDitXET
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 18, 2023
The Rafah crossing located in the southern part of the Gaza bordering Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, is the only way to cross into Egypt and it serves as the vital link between Gaza and rest of the world.
In 2007, after Hamas came into power, Egypt and Israel imposed strict control over the passage of people and goods.
Aids from several NGO’s and many countries were waiting on trucks in the nearby Egyptian town of El Arish on Monday for permission to enter Gaza, reports Reuters. Once an agreement is reached, the trucks lined up will enter through Rafah border.
