CAIRO, Oct 12 Egypt calls for humanitarian aid to be delivered to the sector Gaza to El-Arish International Airport on the Sinai Peninsula, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry reported.
“The Arab Republic of Egypt calls on all states and international and regional organizations wishing to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip to deliver this assistance to El International Airport “Arish, who was chosen by the Egyptian side to receive international humanitarian aid,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In addition, the department emphasized that the Rafah checkpoint on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip “is open for business and has not been closed, but is not functioning as usual due to damage as a result of Israeli strikes on the Palestinian side of the border crossing.”
“” «Egypt demands that Israel refrain from attacking the Palestinian side of the border crossing so that the repair and restoration efforts are successful and allow it to function as a checkpoint and lifeline for the Palestinian brothers in the sector,» the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.
On Tuesday, Egyptian sources said two Egyptian workers were injured by shrapnel due to Israeli shelling on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. The Israel Defense Forces admitted that its planes struck a checkpoint on Tuesday. Previously, sources reported that Rafah was closed again due to Israeli strikes on the Palestinian part of the border crossing.
On the morning of October 7, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented-scale rocket attack from the Gaza Strip as part of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, announced by the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement. In addition, after massive rocket attacks, the organization’s fighters penetrated into the border areas in southern Israel. In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Within days of the attack, the Israeli military took control of all settlements near the Gaza border and began conducting air strikes on targets, including civilians, in the strip. Israel also announced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip: the supply of water, food, electricity, medicine, fuel has been suspended.
The number of civilian deaths on each side exceeded a thousand, and several thousand Israelis and Palestinians were injured. Including, it was reported about several dead and missing Russians, as well as citizens of other countries. According to various sources, about 150 Israelis may be held captive by Hamas.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the parties to stop hostilities. According to the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the settlement of the Middle East crisis is possible exclusively on the basis of a “two-state” formula approved by the UN Security Council, which provides for the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with its capital in East Jerusalem.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict related to territorial interests of the parties, has been a source of tension and fighting in the region for many decades. A UN decision with the active role of the USSR in 1947 determined the creation of two states — Israel and Palestine, but only the Israeli one was created. Israel, while declaring agreement with the two-state principle, did not completely liberate the Palestinian territories.