Report: Egypt rejected Israeli proposal to evacuate wounded Palestinians via Rafah Crossing

Egypt has reportedly rejected an Israeli proposal to allow sick Palestinians to be evacuated from Gaza via the Rafah Border Crossing.

Lebanese outlet Al-Akhbar quotes Egyptian sources as saying that Cairo turned down the offer because Israel now controls the Palestinian side of the crossing.

The crossing has been closed since Israel took control of its Gazan side on May 7, with Egypt refusing to reopen it until it was back under Palestinian control, in order to avoid being seen as complicit with Israel’s military operation in the southernmost Gaza city.

Instead, Egypt is said to have offered to bring medical supplies and treat wounded Gazans at the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing in coordination with international aid organizations working in the Strip.

According to the sources quoted in the Lebanese report, Egypt believes that Israel’s recent military maneuvers “aim to establish a fait accompli, especially after the complete destruction of the crossing from the Palestinian side, and the refusal to make arrangements for its reconstruction or enable Palestinian officials to fully manage it.”

The Israeli offer allowed for the transfer of “unlimited” numbers of wounded Palestinians to Egypt to receive medical treatment, Al-Akhbar reports.

According to an unconfirmed Palestinian report yesterday, a group of Gazan children with serious illnesses, including cancer, has been cleared to leave the enclave via the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing, for the first time since the war began.