Egypt does not allow foreigners to leave Gaza if humanitarian aid is not allowed in

The Egyptian authorities refused this Saturday to allow foreigners residing in the Gaza Strip to enter their country through the Rafah border crossing if humanitarian aid is not allowed to enter the Palestinian enclave, on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.

According to sources from the Egyptian television Al Qahera News, close to the Intelligence of this country, Egypt refused to allow the crossing of foreigners who are in Gaza, a request that several countries have made, after an agreement was not reached. agreement so that aid could come in for the 2.2 million people overcrowded in the strip.

According to testimonies cited by this same medium, an undetermined group of foreign citizens waited for several hours at the border crossing without obtaining any response from the Egyptian authorities.

In fact, this Saturday the Egyptian authorities began to place cement blocks around the border with Gaza and reinforce security due to fear of attacks or possible attempts to enter Egypt from the Strip, according to Egyptian security sources who requested the anonymity, although the Government of Egypt did not officially comment on this action.

The coordinator of the Spanish community in Gaza, Salah al Sousi, said that Spain would be preparing the evacuation to transfer just over 250 people of Spanish nationality who are in the Gaza Strip, although this information could not be confirmed with the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem or with the Spanish Embassy in Cairo.

Egypt's decision is motivated by its fear of a mass exodus, after yesterday Israel gave an ultimatum to the Gazan population to move from the north of the Strip to the south, which could lead to scenes similar to those that were experienced in the 2009 Gaza war, which lasted three weeks and led many Palestinian citizens to try to storm the border in search of refuge.

Rafah is the only exit from the Gaza Strip that is not controlled by Israel and the only route for humanitarian aid to enter the enclave.

Egyptian authorities have reported in recent days that the area around the Rafah crossing has been bombed by Israel, causing disruptions in operations at the border crossing, although Cairo says it maintains that the crossing remains open to “traffic.” without giving more details.