Egypt continues airdrop of humanitarian aid onto Gaza: Minister of Defense

CAIRO – 2 June 2024: In continuation of the Egyptian efforts to stop the Israeli genocidal war, Egypt- in cooperation with Jordan and the UEA- airdropped dozens of tons of humanitarian aid onto the besieged Gaza Strip over the past few days, said the Egyptian Ministry of Defense in a statement on Sunday.

The airdrop aims at alleviating the aggravation of the humanitarian situation, and sending aid in sufficient quantities to save the people of the Strip, the statement added.

Egypt affirmed its support for the Palestinian cause against the pressure it is being exposed to, to push the international community to carry out its responsibilities in confronting the Israeli aggression against Gaza, the statement continued.

The Rafah crossing has been closed since Israel escalated its operations in Gaza, deploying ground troops to Rafah city near the border with Egypt on May 7.

Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing, triggering Egypt’s condemnation. Cairo has since refused to coordinate with Israel on aid delivery to Gaza through the crossing.

Egypt has restated its unwavering position, emphasizing the requirement for Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing as a crucial condition for reopening the crossing.

A high-level source said that officials from Egypt, US, and Israel concluded a meeting in Cairo on Sunday, where they discussed the reopening of the Rafah crossing.

However, last week, Egyptian humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza after being redirected from Rafah to Israel's Karm Abu Salem crossing, based on an agreement between Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and US President Joe Biden.

Since May 7, Israel has conducted relentless shelling and airstrikes in Rafah city, resulting in the deaths of dozens, the majority of whom were sheltering in tents.

A tent camp in Rafah was hit by an Israeli airstrike on Sunday, killing 45 people sheltering in the camp and prompting global condemnation.

The war in Gaza has led to one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, with a significant number of the population displaced, infrastructure damaged, and the strip on the brink of famine.

Over more than seven months, the Israeli war has claimed the lives of over 36,400 Palestinians and injured more than 82,600 others.