UNRWA head says Rafah crossing never closed from the Egyptian side during Gaza war: Al Qahera News

CAIRO – 14 January 2024: Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said that the Israeli war in Gaza is a humanitarian crime, condemning the targeting of civilians by the Israeli forces in the strip.

Lazzarini stressed that the Rafah border crossing has been never closed from the Egyptian side during the ongoing war, Al Qahera News reported.

Last week, Head of Egypt’s State Information Service Diaa Rashwan refuted claims made by the Israeli defense team in front of the International Court of Justice that Egypt is to blame for the obstruction of the entry of relief and humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing.

Rashwan said that all Israeli officials, particularly the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, and the Minister of Energy, have repeatedly stated in public statements since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza that they will not permit aid, particularly fuel, to enter the Gaza. He added that this confirms the inconsistency and falsity of the Israeli claims.

The occupying power turned to accusing Egypt in an attempt to avoid being held guilty by the International Court of Justice when it found itself in front of the court with proof of these crimes, he stated.

Egypt's sovereignty extends only to the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, while the other side is subject to the occupation authority, Rashwan said.

Egypt has called on the Israeli side to stop obstructing or delaying the entry of aid under the pretext of inspecting it and to stop preventing the flow of humanitarian aid to the Strip. Egypt has made these announcements numerous times in official statements, beginning with the President, the Foreign Ministry, and all parties concerned, Rashwan said.

During the week-long humanitarian truce negotiations in the Gaza Strip, which included participation from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, the Israeli side demonstrated extreme intransigence in deciding how much aid would be allowed to enter, Rashwan said.

Egypt has assigned Egyptian trucks with Egyptian drivers to enter after inspection directly into the territory of the Gaza Strip to distribute aid to its residents, rather than transferring it to Palestinian trucks, in light of Israel's ongoing intention to obstruct the entry of aid at the Karm Abu Salem crossing, Rashwan said.

The Israeli attacks in Gaza over the past 99 days have killed 23,843 people and injured 60,317 individuals, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Most of the victims are women and children.

Over the past 24 hours, the Israeli forces committed 12 massacres against Palestinian families in the strip, killing 135 people and injuring 312, added the ministry.