From the Liveblog of
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Official says Israel gave green light for Gaza aid several days ago
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleCarrie Keller-Lynn is a former political and legal correspondent for The Times of Israel
Israel gave the green light for humanitarian aid to pass through Egypt’s Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip several days ago, says an Israeli official, speaking to The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity.
The first 20 aid trucks passed from Egypt to Rafah this morning, with the timing set by Egyptian discretion, the official says.
Aid was one of the first topics discussed between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden, amid burgeoning concerns for the welfare of 2 million Palestinians within the besieged Gaza Strip.
Their crisis has been exacerbated by Hamas bombing water and electricity lines within the Strip, says the Israeli official.
Israel holds an informal veto over what aid can be transferred to Gaza, in line with understandings reached with Egypt. Israel is especially concerned with weapons smuggling into the strip, or diverting aid to Hamas’s war effort. It has also ruled out letting fuel into the Strip.
Egypt, the official adds, is nervous about Palestinian refugees crossing into their territory. No people evacuated Gaza through Rafah today amid expectations that foreign citizens would be allowed to leave.
The Times of Israel Community.