From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Egypt urges Israel to stop bombing Rafah crossing to allow aid delivery
Gianluca Pacchiani is the Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry urges Israel to stop attacking the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt so that it can be reopened, Channel 12 reports.
The crossing has been closed since it was hit by IAF airstrikes on Tuesday afternoon, after Israel declared that no food or fuel would be allowed into the Strip in an effort to implement a complete blockade to isolate Hamas. The IAF said it bombed the crossing as it was targeting an underground smuggling tunnel.
In a statement, Egypt states that it did not close its side of the crossing, and calls on all countries and international organizations in the region to provide humanitarian aid to Gazans by flying it through the El-Arish airport in northern Sinai, located about 56 kilometers (35 miles) from the Rafah crossing.
Jordan has sent to Egypt a delivery of humanitarian supplies intended for Gaza, the New York Times reports, but it is unclear if the aid will be allowed to enter the coastal strip.
The Times of Israel Community.