US will continue to work with Egypt to facilitate exit of citizens from Gaza: Biden

CAIRO – 22 October 2023: The United States will continue to work with Egypt and Israel around the clock in order to facilitate the exit of US citizens and their immediate family members, President Joe Biden said on Saturday.

This comes on order to allow the US citizens and their immediate families to travel via Egypt to their final destinations, Biden added as he commented on the delivery of the first batch of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip yesterday.

“I express my deep personal appreciation for the leadership of President Al-Sisi of Egypt, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, and the United Nations to allow the resumption of this assistance,” Biden said.

On Saturday, the first humanitarian aid convoy destined for the besieged Gaza Strip since the outbreak of war finally arrived through the Rafah border crossing after a week of being stranded in Egypt.

According to the United Nations, the convoy comprised 20 trucks carrying life-saving supplies intended for the Palestinian Red Crescent. However, the amount of aid is not sufficient to cover what is needed and it remains uncertain how much aid will be allowed to enter in the coming days.

The aid is delivered through the Rafah border crossing, which serves as the primary entry and exit point for the Gaza Strip, to alleviate the suffering of 2.3 million residents in Gaza.

UN officials have stressed that Gaza requires a minimum of 100 trucks per day to meet urgent needs.

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

Meanwhile, North Sinai Governor Mohamed Shosha said last week 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. Informed sources affirmed earlier this month that Egyptian authorities have refused the evacuation of foreign residents from Gaza except as part of an aid delivery agreement.