Egypt on Sunday reiterated full rejection of statements by high-ranking officials in the Israeli government indicating the intention of Israeli forces to launch a military operation in Gaza Strip’s southern city of Rafah.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, warned of the grave consequences of such a move, particularly that it includes risks of aggravating the humanitarian disaster in the strip.
In addition, Egypt stressed the necessity of rallying regional and international efforts to prevent targeting of Palestinian city of Rafah, which now shelters approximately 1.4 million displaced Palestinians, since it is the last safe place in the Gaza strip, the statement said.
Cairo, the statement said, considers targeting Rafah, combined with Israel’s continued policy of obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, an actual contribution to implementing a policy of displacing Palestinians and liquidating their cause in clear violation of the provisions of international law, and the international humanitarian law, as well as the relevant resolutions by the UN Security Council and General Assembly.
Egypt will maintain contacts and moves with all parties for the sake of achieving an immediate ceasefire, establishing calm and realising the exchange of hostages and captives, the statement added.
In the meantime, Egypt’s Rafah Land Port on Sunday saw the crossing of a convoy of trucks loaded with humanitarian assistance to Gaza Strip and also the entry of 40 injured Palestinians to receive treatment at Egyptian hospitals.
The convoy consisted of 110 trucks that carried consignments of humanitarian aid while five more trucks carried fuel, the Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported, quoting a well-informed source at the crossing.
The crossing also saw the entry of 132 holders of Egyptian passports and 250 foreigners, according to the same MENA report.
Simultaneously, the Arish airport continued to receive air-borne shipments of humanitarian aid, with the landing yesterday of a plane that flew in from the United Arab Emirates.
The Emirati plane brought a cargo of 43.6 tonnes of relief supplies and tents for delivery to the Gaza Strip, MENA reported, quoting a well-placed source at the airport.
The plane’s load was moved to the logistic storage site in Arish ahead of sending the relief supplies to Gaza in co-ordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent, the Palestinian Red Crescent and UNRWA, MENA reported.
Since October 12 last year, the Arish airport has handled 567 flights carrying relief and aid consignments from various countries.
In the meantime, Qatari Minister of State for International Co-operation Lolwah al-Khater lauded Egypt’s support for the Palestinian people.
During a meeting with Egypt’s Health and Population Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar in Doha yesterday, the Qatari minister noted that since the outbreak of violence in Gaza Strip Egypt has emerged as one of the main supporters to the Palestinians.
Discussions between the ministers covered ways of increasing co-operation and coordination between Egypt and Qatar in the delivery of medical aid to Palestinians, Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdul-Ghaffar said.
While in Doha, Minister Abdul-Ghaffar checked on the Palestinians who were injured and receive treatments in a number of Qatari hospitals, the spokesman added in a statement.
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