Unnamed senior officials tell Channel 12 news that mediators in ceasefire-hostage deal talks have decided to set aside the thorny issue of Israel’s presence in two Gaza corridors under a potential agreement, and are focusing on other matters.
Archiv: Rafah crossing (Egypt-Gaza border)
Egypt stresses rejection to Israeli presence in Rafah Border Crossing, Philadelphi Corridor
Egypt stressed to all concerned parties its rejection to any Israeli presence in Rafah Border Crossing or Philadelphi Corridor, a high-profile source told Egyptian media Monday.
Egyptian militia leader Organi unveils plans for ‘Sisi City’ at Israel border
Prior to merging it with the newly declared union, Organi led the Union of Sinai Tribes (UST), a pro-government paramilitary group set up in 2015 to support the Egyptian army in its battles against a local offshoot of the Islamic State (IS). The UST’s mission in Sinai has been unclear since the IS-affiliate group known as the Sinai Province was officially defeated in 2022.
The bloody, 10-year campaign in the Sinai has almost completely razed Rafah and uprooted thousands of members of the indigenous Bedouin population, leaving most towns and villages pulverised.
Egypt detains ten pro-Palestine protesters on charges of ‚spreading fake news‘
(04.04.2024)
Wednesday’s demonstration was held in front of the Journalists‘ Syndicate in Cairo, where dozens of journalists and activists gathered to protest against the ongoing Israeli onslaught on Gaza.
Activists shared videos of one of the protesters chanting against business tycoon and government ally Ibrahim al-Organi, whose companies have been charging Palestinians thousands of dollars to exit Gaza.
Israeli fire killed nine people at aid station in Gaza, says health ministry
„At least nine martyrs and dozens injured by Israeli occupation army tank fire and shells. They were waiting for aid trucks at the Kuwait roundabout“ on the outskirts of Gaza City, a health ministry statement said.
Israel‘s military said it was looking into the report.
Thousands of trucks waiting in North Sinai to enter Gaza, says Sinai governor
North Sinai‘s governor, Mohamed Shousha, said 7,000 aid trucks are waiting to deliver aid into Gaza.
Shousha said in a statement that Israel‘s inspection rules had delayed the flow of aid into Gaza.
At Rafah border crossing to Gaza, UN’s Guterres calls for immediate ceasefire
“Here from this crossing, we see the heartbreak and heartlessness of it all,” he said, pointing to a long line of blocked relief trucks on one side of the gates and the “long shadow of starvation on the other”.
“That is more than tragic; moral outrage,” he said, adding that “any further onslaught will make everything worse” for Palestinian civilians, hostages and all people of the region.
All this demonstrates that it’s more than time for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for “an ironclad commitment by Israel for total, unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza”, he said, emphasizing that in the Ramadan spirit of compassion, it’s time for the immediate release of all hostages.
He also urged all UN Member States to support the “lifesaving work led by the backbone of all Gaza relief operations, UNRWA”, the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees.
Pledging to continue working with Egypt to streamline the flow of aid, he had a message for Palestinians in Gaza: “you are not alone.”
War on Gaza: Israel is dragging the US into a future regional war
Netanyahu’s game plan is now clear: prolong the war as long as possible; seal all the land borders, ending with Rafah; and make the sea the only escape route for Palestinians from Gaza.
Behind the hot words of condemnation, Biden and the EU have thus far played into his hands. The infrastructure for just such a plan is being built before our eyes, with Washington’s willing assistance. (…)
The plan for a maritime route to Gaza via Cyprus was initiated by Netanyahu, a senior diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post. “Netanyahu took the initiative to establish maritime humanitarian aid for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, in collaboration with the Biden administration,” the source said.
The date when this happened is more important than the identity of the scheme’s author. According to this report, Netanyahu outlined his strategy to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on 31 October, just three weeks after the Hamas attack, and revisited the matter with Biden on 19 January.
In other words, the floating pier was not a reaction to impending famine. It was part of the planning that created it.
‚Egypt is aiding Israel‘: The Palestinians charged a fortune to escape Gaza‘s war
Ali had to pay $15,000, in what is referred to as a “travel coordination fee”, to a travel agency liaising with an Egyptian state-linked company to allow his family to leave Gaza via the Rafah border crossing in northeastern Egypt.
This is curently the only way for Palestinians who do not have another nationality to cross to Egypt.
The Gaza travel company acts as an intermediary between the Palestinians wishing to leave Gaza and an Egyptian company, Hala, which has a de facto monopoly over the exit of Palestinians via the Rafah crossing.
The Daily Hunt for Food in Gaza
For two million hungry Gazans, most days bring a difficult search for something to eat.
Aid trucks entering Gaza must double to meet basic needs, WFP says
(06.03.2024)
Before the conflict began in October, Gaza relied on 500 trucks entering daily. Aid can currently be delivered into southern Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt and Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel.
People in Gaza are in desperate humanitarian need. Alongside the US, the UK and partners have announced we will open a maritime corridor to deliver aid directly to Gaza. We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those who need it.
Joint Statement from the European Commission, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States Endorsing the Activation of a Maritime Corridor to Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza
The United States announced an emergency mission led by the U.S. military to establish a temporary pier in Gaza, in coordination with humanitarian partners and other countries, to enable the delivery of significant quantities of assistance by sea. These efforts will be closely coordinated with the Government of Israel.
The delivery of humanitarian assistance directly to Gaza by sea will be complex, and our nations will continue to assess and adjust our efforts to ensure we deliver aid as effectively as possible. This maritime corridor can—and must—be part of a sustained effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial commodities into Gaza through all possible routes.
US military conducts fourth Gaza airdrop
The US military carried out its fourth airdrop of assistance into Gaza, responding to the escalating humanitarian crisis in the densely populated coastal area on Friday, a US official told Reuters.
Israel destroying Gaza‘s food system as ‚starvation‘ tactic, says UN expert
„Israel is not only denying and restricting the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel is destroying the food system in Gaza,“ Michael Fakhri, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, said in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council on
„Israel has mounted a starvation campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza.“
He said that Israel was targeting small-scale fishers as part of the campaign, including by denying them access to the sea and destroying boats.
Supplies allowed into the besieged #GazaStrip are not enough to feed an entire population; hunger is everywhere. Man-made famine looms. Babies dying of malnutrition. Unimpeded access across #GazaStrip is needed NOW. An immediate ceasefire continues to be a matter of life & death
Why only a trickle of aid is getting into Gaza
(11.02.2024)
An average of 95 aid trucks per day entered Gaza between October 10 and February 1, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, down from 500 commercial and aid trucks a day before the war, when Palestinians weren’t facing mass displacement and starvation. Some 2 million Gazans are dependent on UN aid now.
64 trucks loaded with various humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip through Rafah board crossing.
Rafah board crossing also witnessed the entry of 40 wounded Palestinians, 26 companions arrived at the crossing along with 78 foreign nationals and 112 holding Egyptian passports.
Satellite images show Egypt levelling land and building a wall along its border with the Gaza Strip near the Rafah crossing.
The construction suggests Egypt is preparing for a possible influx of displaced Palestinians, amid fears that Israel‘s planned ground invasion of Rafah.
State Department ‘discrimination’ traps relatives of Palestinian Americans in Gaza
„The most annoying thing is when they start talking about how they are against the displacement of people. It means that in that context, you are okay with them dying. Because if they are not displaced right now, they can die at any minute,“ Dawoud said.
The current process for getting the families of US citizens as well as legal permanent residents out of Gaza begins with those individuals applying to the State Department on their relatives‘ behalf by using an online crisis intake form.
The State Department then reviews that form, and if approved, it sends that list to Egypt and Israel for further review.
Once that review is completed and approved, the list is sent over to Palestinian authorities in Gaza, who publish a daily list of the individuals approved to leave via the Rafah border crossing.
Today in Deir al-Balah, middle #Gaza, families queue for hours to receive a hot meal. Starvation looms. Desperately needed aid is not going into #Gaza
People across the #GazaStrip are stalked by hunger, disease and death, with those in the north on the verge of famine
War on Gaza: Why Egypt fears Israel‘s Rafah attack and what it means for their peace treaty
“The back-and-forth statements in the media are for public consumption. What matters is what’s happening behind closed doors, in intelligence coordination meetings in Cairo and other capitals.”
Likewise, Joost Hiltermann, an analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, said suspension of the treaty “won’t happen”.
“Relations between Israel and Egypt remain strong, despite what is taking place in Gaza.”
Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war against the besieged people of Gaza, and unless we stop this now hundreds of thousands are at risk of dying.
War on Gaza: Palestinians in Rafah run out of shelters as Israel threatens assault
A few hundred metres from the Rafah border fence with Egypt, dozens of Palestinian families set up tents as a „last resort“ as they sought refuge from the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip after having to move multiple times from their homes and previous shelters.
But many are now considering yet another displacement as Israel threatens a military operation in the border town Rafah, which is now sheltering more than half of Gaza‘s two million residents.
France Says 42 People Evacuated From Gaza
France on Monday evacuated 42 people from Gaza including French nationals and staff of the French cultural institute, the foreign ministry said.
„After a request from France, 42 people today left the Gaza Strip through the Rafa border crossing,“ the ministry said in a statement. It added that more than 200 people have now left the stricken territory following official French requests.
War on Gaza: Charity says Egypt intelligence-linked firm charging $5,000 to get aid over border
An international charity with extensive experience in providing emergency aid in wars, famines and earthquakes throughout the Middle East and in Afghanistan is being forced to pay $5,000 a truck to a company linked to Egypt’s General Intelligence Service (GIS) to get aid into Gaza.
The charity, which does not want to be named to avoid obstruction to its relief efforts in Gaza, spoke to Middle East Eye in outrage at having to pay what it openly describes as a bribe to a state-linked agent.
War on Gaza: Palestinians are starving. Airdropping of aid must begin immediately
We have seen France and Jordan dropping in several tons of medical aid for the hospitals unable to cope with the endless conveyor belt of maimed and dying civilians.
If the world’s cries for a level of humanitarian aid to reach the people via land borders are still ignored, then the world has a responsibility to get even more support to the people by any means necessary. If they will not let us help by land or sea, then we must try by air.
How the ICJ ruling could finally break Israel‘s siege of Gaza
Friday’s ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) drives something bigger and more powerful than a D9 bulldozer through the western position supporting Israel’s blitzkrieg on Gaza, which has continued for nearly four months.
The ruling establishes that what is going on in Gaza is not a war aimed at disabling an enemy militant group, but an operation aimed at disabling a people, and a nation. There can be no more momentous legal judgement in the history of the conflict, certainly in the current century.
This judgement reestablishes the morality, impartiality and standing of international law, and will show the impunity that Israel has been granted by its major arms suppliers and backers for what it is: a license to kill.
okay @MfaEgypt @EgyptPRNewYork since we should follow the icj and act according to genocide convention, isn‘t it time to make all the aid enter through Rafah and ignore israel?
to all people who still have a conscience please raise the hashtag for the opening of the door rafah,Open the gates of Rafah so that aid for Palestine can be opened,
they need help for the many people who are starving there
#OpenRafahBorderNow #openrafahstopgenocide #Palestina
hanzala bize yüzünü dönmedi ama görebilenler “ölüm, bu hayattan daha merhametli” diyen çocuğun yüzünde görür hanzala’yı.
Rally now in solidarity with the people of #Gaza in #Bahrain. Demanding the Rafah crossing to be opened. #OpenRafahBorderNow
Rafah crossing, #OpentheGatesNOW
Gaza war: Why did Arab states not join South Africa‘s case against Israel in the ICJ?
All Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have issued many statements condemning Israel‘s assault on Gaza, but they did not take any further action. Saudi Arabia and the Arab League waited for more than a month of onslaught in Gaza to hold a summit in Riyadh to discuss the issue.
The summit decided to break the siege and blockade, but Arab countries never turned this resolution into action. Instead, Egypt obeyed Israeli commands and refused to give access to move injured civilians for treatment outside of Gaza unless Israel approved their names.
Dear President Biden: The humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip
(12.12.2023)
Dear President Biden,
The war in the Gaza Strip has been underway for more than nine weeks, ever since Hamas carried out its horrific and criminal attack on Israeli civilians, which included killing more than 1,200 people and kidnapping some 250 to Gaza – among them Israeli civilians, foreign nationals and children. Immediately after the attack, and in a speech you later gave in Israel, you made it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself, while emphasizing it must do so only in accordance with the provisions of international law, and particularly the rules of war.
We, Israeli human rights organizations and civil society groups, must at this stage state with a heavy heart that our government has chosen to ignore your advice and similar statements by US officials. This letter does not address the grave suspicions of Israeli violations of international humanitarian law during the war, but centers on the extreme humanitarian crisis developing in Gaza and the urgent need to change Israel’s policy on this issue.
Israeli Human Rights Organizations to President Biden: Stop the Humanitarian Catastrophe
(13.12.2023)
Among the signatories: Academia for Equality, Akevot – Institute for Israeli Palestinian Conflict Research, B’Tselem, Bimkom, Breaking the Silence, Combatants for Peace, Gisha, HaMoked – Center for the Defense of the Individual, Jordan Valley Activists, Looking the Occupation in the Eye, Machsom Watch, Parents Against Child Detentions, Psychoative, Rabbis for Human Rights, Social Workers for Peace and Welfare, Yesh Din and Zazim -Community Action.
Statement of the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings
(04.12.2023)
Nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go.
The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist. If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond.
UN foresees ‚hellish scenario‘ as Israel stalls Gaza aid
A UN official warned on Monday that „an even more hellish scenario“ looms in Gaza in which humanitarian aid simply grinds to a halt.
„The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist,“ said Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories.
„It‘s been 5 and a half weeks of hell in #Gaza“ @JulietteTouma tells @BBCNews that there needs to be a ceasefire as soon as possible, a huge shipment of fuel and an increase of humanitarian aid. The siege on the #GazaStrip needs to be lifted.
From our #Gaza team @TomWhite: There will NOT be a cross-border aid operation at the Rafah Crossing tomorrow.
The communications network in #Gaza is down because there is NO fuel.
This makes it impossible to manage or coordinate humanitarian aid convoys.
British nationals and dependents stopped from leaving Gaza with families
Now that the Americans are out, the Rafah crossing is likely to see more such security incidents! At least, most of them. #IsraelPalestineConflict #Rafah
UPDATE #Israel #Palestine Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza closed due to an unspecified ‘security circumstance’.
WFP appeals for urgent expanded Gaza access with food supplies ‘dangerously low’
“Right now, parents in Gaza do not know whether they can feed their children today and whether they will even survive to see tomorrow. The suffering just meters away is unfathomable standing on this side of the border,” said Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP). (…)
The WFP head is concluding a two-day visit to Egypt, during which she met with top Government officials, including President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and visited the Egyptian Red Crescent’s humanitarian staging hub in Al Arish.
Gaza suffers another communications blackout amid Israeli bombardment
Telecom provider Paltel reported a “complete disruption” of communications and internet services in Gaza on Wednesday morning.
The disruption comes after Israel imposed a near-complete communications blackout on Gaza from Friday to Sunday that lasted close to 36 hours.
Israel-Hamas War: Foreigners Leave Gaza As Rafah Border Opens For First Time
Scores of people holding foreign passports left the war-torn Gaza for Egypt after the Rafah border crossing opened for the first time since the beginning of the war on October 7, reported AFP. Scores of people and cars moved through the gates as Gaza suffered „complete interruption of all communications and internet services” for a second time, reported Al Jazeera.
Foreigners left the war-torn Gaza for Egypt after the Rafah border crossing opened for the first time since the beginning of the war
First Foreigners Leave Gaza For Egypt Through Rafah Crossing
Convoys of desperately needed aid have passed between Egypt and Gaza but no people have been allowed to cross.
Readout of President Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel
(October 25, 2023)
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke this afternoon with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. The leaders discussed developments in Gaza as well as ongoing efforts to locate and secure the release of hostages to include American citizens we believe are held by Hamas. They also reviewed ongoing discussions to ensure safe passage for foreign nationals wishing to depart Gaza as soon as possible. The President discussed ongoing U.S. support for the continuous flow of humanitarian support to the civilian population in Gaza and welcomed efforts to increase this support over the coming period. The President reiterated that Israel has every right and responsibility to defend its citizens from terrorism and to do so in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law. He also noted the importance of focusing on what comes after this crisis to include a pathway for a permanent peace between Israelis and Palestinians, emphasizing that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations.
International and Arab failure to prevent the annihilation of the Palestinian people must end.. A Joint Statement by 48 Human Rights Organizations from Eight Arab Countries
The undersigned Arab human rights organizations call on permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council and member states of the League of Arab States to take immediate action to prevent the situation in Gaza from developing into the crime of genocide against Palestinian civilians.
(…)
Signatory organizations:
– Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
– Adala For All
– Addameer Foundation for Rights and Liberties
– Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights’ safeguarding Committee
– Aman Against Discrimination (ADD)
– Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE)
– Aswat Media Network
– Bahrain Center for Human Rights
– Baytna Organization
– BELaady Organization for Human Rights
– Caesar Families Association
– Center for Arab Unity Studies
– Center for Strategic Studies to Support Women and Children
– Committee for Justice
– Cultural Media Center-Yemen
– Defender Center for Human Rights
– Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR)
– Egyptian Human Rights Forum ( EHRF)
– Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
– EgyptWide for Human Rights
– Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”
– HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
– Justitia Center for legal protection of human rights in Algeria
– Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF)
– Libya Crimes Watch
– Libyan Center For Freedom Of Press
– Libyan Organization for Independent Media (LOFIM)
– Maeen Center for Community Development
– Musaala Organization for Human Rights
– Mwatana for Human Rights
– National Autonomous Union of Public Administration Staff (SNAPAP)
– Palestinian Counseling center
– Palestinian Human Rights Organisation „PHRO“
– PASS Foundation – Peace for Sustainable Societies
– Refugees platform in Egypt
– Release me organization working with women
– SHOAA for Human Rights
– Sinai Foundation for Human Rights
– Syrian center for Media and Freedom of Expression
– Taafi initiative
– The Libyan center for freedom of press LCFP
– The Libyan Network for Legal Aid
– The Sudanese Human Rights Monitor (SHRM)
– TUNISIAN ASSOCIATION DEFENDING INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES (ADLI)
– Tunisian youth league
– Union of Detainees
– Wogood for Human Security
– Yemen Future Foundation for Media and Culture Development