Egypt will finally open the Rafah crossing to the Gaza Strip on Friday to allow the entry of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population. This has been the decision of the Egyptian Government and that President Abdel Fattá al-Sisi has communicated to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, in response to the delicate humanitarian situation that the Palestinians of Gaza are experiencing due to the war between Israel and Hamas, the blockade of the strip and the massive displacements from the north to the south of the territory due to the bombings and the imminent land entry of the Israeli army.

The statement from the Egyptian executive assures that the agreement will allow humanitarian aid to be brought through the border crossing in coordination “with international humanitarian organizations under the supervision of the United Nations.”. The passage will now be opened after the efforts of the international community and the reluctance of Egypt and Israel. Why didn't they want to open the border? What has changed to make it possible now?

The Rafah crossing, the last border of Gaza

The Rafah crossing, the only Gaza border not controlled by Israel, is the territory's only remaining link to the outside world.. Egypt controls the border crossing, but any supplies entering Gaza through Rafah require the cooperation of Gaza authorities (which is de facto controlled by Hamas) and Israeli approval.

The Rafah crossing only allowed, in principle, the transit of people, while the traffic of goods is mainly diverted towards the Kerem Shalom crossing, located at the confluence of the Palestinian, Egyptian and Israeli borders, which is also closed.. Exit permits before the war were almost impossible to obtain, although most Palestinians in Gaza have never left the territory.

Egypt will allow the entry of humanitarian aid

Since the outbreak of the conflict between Hamas and Israel and the humanitarian crisis as a result of bombings, evacuations and supply cuts, all eyes have been directed to the border with Egypt. The Rafah crossing became the exit door for Palestinian civilians or, in any case, the entry point for humanitarian aid for the more than two million civilians in the strip.

However, the complicated situation has made it impossible to open the Rafah crossing until now.. The Egyptian government has defended that it has tried since the beginning of the conflict to open the Rafah crossing to allow the entry of urgent aid, although they have demanded guarantees that Israel would not bomb aid convoys, according to CNN.. Until now, no guarantees had been given about this, but international mediation seems to now allow the opening of the passage only for the entry of humanitarian aid.

The border will not be open for refugees

However, Egypt has been reluctant to allow the Rafah crossing to constitute a refugee route from Gaza to Egypt.. President Al-Sisi clarified that Egypt tries to help the Palestinian population, but “within limits”, according to CNN. According to the Egyptian president, the Arab state stands in solidarity with Gaza, but clarified that they must “use their minds to achieve peace and security in a way that does not cost us much.”

Therefore, Egypt's position regarding the opening of the Rafah crossing will now allow access for humanitarian aid, but not the transit of the more than two million Palestinians into Egyptian territory, although the Arab country will not open a crossing. of refugees towards the vast desert of the Sinai Peninsula. The possibility of a massive displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to Egypt, perhaps to stay, is an issue feared by the Egyptian authorities, according to the BBC.

For its part, Israel will allow access for humanitarian aid convoys to Gaza after the mediation of US President Joe Biden during his visit to Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, the war between Israel and Hamas continues and Gaza is plunged into a humanitarian crisis that organizations such as Doctors Without Borders describe as a “total catastrophe.”