Egypt says it's ready to send aid, receive wounded once Rafah crossing reopens
Egyptian authorities said that the country is ready to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and receive wounded Palestinians once the Rafah border crossing is reopened by Israel, which has kept it closed since May in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
According to Israel’s state broadcaster KAN, the crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border is expected to reopen in both directions on 1 February.
Speaking to Egyptian state television on Wednesday, North Sinai Governor Khaled Mujawir said that the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing is prepared for developments on the ground.
“We are 100 percent ready for the entry of aid and for receiving the wounded from the Gaza Strip,” he said.
“The crisis management centre is working on possible scenarios, including the delivery of aid, if developments allow, in preparation for the reopening of the crossing,” Mujawir added.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
"Coordination is ongoing with the crisis centre in Cairo and all state institutions."
In October, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to end the Israeli war on Gaza and ease restrictions on aid.
On Monday, the body of the last Israeli captive in Gaza, Ran Gvili, was recovered and returned to Israel, fulfilling the conditions of the first phase of the agreement on the Palestinian side.
From the Israeli side, the first phase agreement included the reopening of the Rafah crossing, allowing humanitarian aid to enter the enclave.
However, Israel has kept the crossing closed since May 2024 and restricted aid in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Last week, Israeli forces also demolished the headquarters of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in occupied East Jerusalem. The agency is the primary source of humanitarian support for an estimated 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in occupied Palestine and neighbouring countries.
The compound was seized last year after Israel passed a law banning Unrwa.
While the ceasefire has moved into the second phase, UN aid coordination office said "the humanitarian situation and crisis in Gaza is far from being over".
In addition to impeding aid, Israeli forces have committed at least 1,300 violations of the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.
These include around 200 incidents involving the demolition of homes and other structures, 430 cases of gunfire directed at civilians, 66 incursions into residential areas, and more than 600 strikes.
Israeli forces have killed more than 488 Palestinians since the ceasefire began, while the total number of wounded has reached 1,321, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
Since the beginning of its genocidal war in October 2023, Israel has killed more than 71,667 Palestinians, including at least 20,179 children. Thousands more are missing and presumed dead.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
