Photos: Egypt continues aid airdrop to northern Gaza as Cairo hosts new round of ceasefire talks

CAIRO – 10 March 2024: The Egyptian Air Forces, as part of a global alliance for airdropping humanitarian aid to Gaza, have maintained their efforts to deliver aid to affected areas in the northern part of the strip, announced Armed Forces’ Spokesman Gharib Abdel Hafez on Sunday.

Collaborating with Jordan and several friendly countries within the alliance, the aid was airdropped to northern Gaza, in conjunction with aid deliveries by Egyptian and Emirati military transport aircraft departing from Arish airport.

 

This joint effort between Egypt and the UAE forms an airbridge to Gaza, facilitating the delivery of "huge quantities" of aid, including food and other urgent relief materials, according to the spokesman.

Last week, the spokesman announced Egypt's participation in the global alliance alongside Jordan, the United States, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, to airdrop aid to Gaza.

The first humanitarian aid airdrop by Egypt took place on Tuesday, February 27, in coordination with Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and France, targeting areas in northern Gaza that are difficult to access by ground means.

 

Egypt has reiterated that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza remains open for the delivery of aid.

Egyptian officials, however, have repeatedly placed blame on Israel for hindering aid deliveries through the Rafah and Kerem Abu Salem crossings.

On Saturday, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi acknowledged the "challenges" facing aid entry into Gaza, in addition to the remoteness of the northern Gaza areas from the Rafah border crossing.

As Ramadan approaches, mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been engaged in discussions to negotiate a potential ceasefire in Gaza, with the aim of ending nearly five months of aggression.

 

In a last-minute effort to halt the ongoing Israeli aggression since October 7, Cairo is currently hosting a new round of talks between the mediators, seeking a ceasefire lasting at least six weeks and facilitating a prisoner swap deal between both sides.

Ceasefire talks have been ongoing in Cairo since last week, with the participation of envoys from Hamas alongside the mediators. Israel has boycotted the talks due to Hamas's refusal to provide a list of living captives.

Collapsing humanitarian situation

A ceasefire is desperately needed as UN data reveals that one-quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million population is "one step away from famine," with children suffering and dying from starvation.

UN special rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, has accused Israel of deliberately starving Gazan civilians.

According to the health ministry in Gaza on Sunday, the Israeli attacks over the past five months have claimed the lives of 31,045 people and injured 72,654.

Egypt is increasingly concerned about Israeli threats to launch a ground invasion in Rafah city, which shares a border with Sinai and currently houses approximately 1.4 million Palestinians, a significant increase from the pre-war population of around 200,000.

Egypt has expressed deep concerns regarding the catastrophic impact such an operation would have on exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in the strip.