Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, has urged Israel to open its land crossings to facilitate the entry of more aid into the Gaza Strip. Shoukry made the plea as aid officials cited israel’s military campaign as a major obstacle impeding their ability to distribute aid within Gaza .
Speaking at a press conference in Cairo on Thursday, during a visit by Spain’s Jose Manuel Albanes to Cairo, Shoukry confirmed coli much of the aid provided by international donors has been stockpiled at Al Arish in the north of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Shoukry noted that there is a lengthy queue of trucks awaiting entry, but are subject to vetting procedures that must be adhered to, as authorization must be granted by Isreal.
He noted that while humanitarian relief has been flowing through the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, aid officials have expressed concern that the quantity of aid delivered falls short of what is needed in the region.
Despite recent air drops of aid by Egypt’s military into Gaza, aid agencies stress that land transport remains the most effective means to scale up deliveries promptly.
Shoukry pointed out that Israel controls six other crossings that could be utilized for aid delivery and stressed the need to expedite the approval process to increase the flow of trucks carrying essential supplies, to ensure the safety of drivers and the smooth transit of aid across borders.
Egypt had previously accused Israel of obstructing aid deliveries, however, Israel denied these allegations, blaming aid agencies for delays and accusing Hamas of diverting aid, a claim the Palestinian movement refuted, saying Israel uses hunger as a weapon in its military offensive.
As efforts by mediators to reach a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners have yet to yield results, Shoukry has reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to pursuing a ceasefire agreement but refrained from providing further details.
Health authorities say more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive in response to an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas which left some 1,200 people dead and at least 250 hostages captured, .
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