Guterres arrives in Egypt for high-level talks, expected to visit Rafah crossing

CAIRO – 19 October 2023: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Cairo on Thursday to hold talks with the political leadership.

A Palestinian official told media in Gaza that Guterres plans a visit to the Rafah border crossing to announce the UN plan to send humanitarian aid to the strip.

On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and US President Joe Biden agreed on sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing.

The relevant authorities in Egypt and the US will coordinate with the international humanitarian organizations under the supervision of the United Nations to secure the aid delivery, the presidents agreed.

Sisi and Biden made the remarks in a phone, which focused on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, said the Egyptian Presidency.

Biden voiced appreciation for the Egyptian leadership’s efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.

Sisi and Biden discussed mechanisms to ensure that the humanitarian aid reaches the civilians in the strip, according to a separate statement by the White House.

The two presidents agreed to work together closely in order to encourage an urgent global response to the UN’s humanitarian appeal in Gaza.

They highlighted the need to safeguard stability in the Middle East, prevent escalation, and provide the appropriate atmosphere for a durable and permanent peace.

Moreover, they underscored their commitment to the enduring, strategic partnership between Egypt and the US.

Hundreds of tons of aid have been stranded in Egypt’s North Sinai for days as Egypt reported that Israeli airstrikes have damaged the area of the Rafah border crossing from the Gazan side.

Egypt received aid from Jordan, Turkey, UAE and Tunisia as well as the World Health Organization (WHO). Also, Biden said in a press conference the US will provide aid worth $100 million for Gaza and West Bank.

Meanwhile, North Sinai Governor Mohamed Shosha said yesterday that aid provided by Egyptian NGOs and entities have totaled 3,000 tons.

The aid delivery to Gaza can mean the start of evacuation of third-country nationals from the strip. On Saturday, informed sources affirmed that Egyptian authorities have refused the evacuation of foreign residents from Gaza except as part of an aid delivery agreement.