US President Joe Biden announced that his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi agreed to open the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to allow the entry of a first batch of humanitarian aid trucks into the Strip.
Biden told reporters after his phone call with his Egyptian counterpart from aboard the presidential plane during his return from a visit to Israel, where he expressed his solidarity with Israel after the Hamas attacks on October 7, that Sisi “agreed… to allow up to 20 trucks to pass as a start.”
He added during the presidential plane’s stop in Germany during its return trip to Washington that these trucks will most likely not cross before Friday because the road around the crossing needs repairs.
He explained that the United Nations will distribute this aid within the Gaza Strip, noting that the entry of a second batch depends on “how things go.”
The US President warned the Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, that if it “seizes (the aid) or prevents its passage (…) the matter will end.”
In Cairo, a statement issued by the Egyptian presidency said that Sisi discussed with Biden ways to facilitate urgent access to “humanitarian aid to Gaza.”
The statement said that the concerned authorities in the two countries are coordinating with international humanitarian organizations under the supervision of the United Nations to secure the arrival of aid, and to agree to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing in a sustainable manner.
The White House indicated that Biden and Sisi agreed to work closely to encourage an “urgent and strong” response to a humanitarian appeal launched by the United Nations related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The two presidents also agreed on the need to maintain stability in the Middle East and prevent escalation of the conflict, as well as reaffirming their commitment to the strategic partnership between the two countries.
2023-10-18 21:17:37
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