Iraq coordinates with Egypt to send humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza

CAIRO – 12 October 2023: Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani directed to send humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip through Egypt.

The Iraqi government is in coordination with the Egyptian authorities for delivering medical aid and supplies, and urgent humanitarian needs for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, who are being air stricken by Israelis, the Iraqi Cabinet said in a statement.

In a statement issued Thursday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt called on countries and organizations willing to providing aid to the Palestinians in Gaza to send the cargos to Arish International Airport which has been designated by the Egyptian authorities to receive international aid.

The ministry negated the closure of Rafah Crossing since the beginning of the crisis, clarifying that the crossing’s basic facilities on the Palestinian side had been destroyed because of the recurrent Israeli strikes, and as a consequence, it could not operate normally.

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry received his Iraqi counterpart Fouad Hussein on Thursday.

The ministers will discuss coordination between Egypt and Iraq on Arab issues, most notably the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and ways to end the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Hamas' Qassam Brigades launched Saturday an offensive on Israeli settlements in the occupied lands by firing 5,000 missiles in 20 minutes, invoking airstrikes on Gaza that incurred scores of casualties and have not ceased until present.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that the death toll reached 1,385 Palestinians, in addition to 6,229 injured Palestinians.

Israel announced that the number of deaths reached 1,300 Israelis and 2506 others were injured.

Egypt warned against the serious dangers of the continuous Israeli escalation against the Palestinians when the Israeli forces stormed and attacked many parts of the occupied lands in Jenin of the West Bank.

Cairo also warned against fueling the tension and exacerbating the suffering of the Palestinian people, saying that these Israeli violations could undermine the efforts made by Egypt, as well as regional and international partners to de-escalate tension in the occupied territories.