Egypt begins repairing Rafah crossing road so humanitarian aid can enter Gaza on Friday

Egypt began this Thursday to pave and repair the road at the Rafah crossing, which connects the Sinai Peninsula with the Gaza Strip, which was damaged by Israeli bombings before the announced opening of the crossing for the entry of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave.. The repair work will be completed by late Thursday and the passage is therefore ready for aid to start flowing from Friday.

“We have agreed to bring humanitarian aid through the Strip through the Rafah border crossing on a lasting basis, with the competent authorities of the two countries coordinating with international humanitarian organizations under the supervision of the United Nations to guarantee access,” he had announced. the Egyptian Government in a statement early in the morning.

The Egyptian president, Abdel Fattá al Sisi, has communicated this decision to his American counterpart, Joe Biden, in a phone call in which they focused “on the humanitarian situation” in the enclave.

Al Sisi has expressed his “gratitude and recognition for the efforts of the Egyptian authorities for peace and stability in the region,” said the statement.. For his part, the US president has stated that “the conclusion is that Al Sisi deserves a lot of credit.”

Biden explained from Air Force One in statements to the media that the Egyptian president has agreed to allow the passage of approximately 20 trucks with humanitarian aid. However, if Hamas intervenes to withhold aid, the commitment adopted by the parties will “end.”

The White House has reported that Biden and Al Sisi held a telephone conversation this Wednesday in which they agreed to work together to provide an “urgent and robust international response” to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

“They agreed on the need to preserve stability in the Middle East, prevent escalation of the conflict, and establish the circumstances for lasting and permanent peace in the region,” the White House said in a statement.

Regarding responsibility for the attack on the Al Ahli hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip, which has left 471 dead according to Gaza authorities, Biden has been skeptical and has reinforced the position he maintained during his visit to Tel Aviv.

“I don't say things like that unless I have faith in the source I got them from. “Our Department of Defense says it is very unlikely that it is the Israelis,” he indicated, adding that Israel, although it has been “victimized,” does have “the opportunity to alleviate people's suffering.”