US President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi have agreed to facilitate aid delivery to UN personnel in Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing until a legal mechanism is established to reopen the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side.
This came during a Friday phone call, as the two leaders addressed the severe shortages of basic necessities in Gaza, including fuel for hospitals and bakeries.
Biden expressed deep appreciation for Egypt’s ongoing mediation efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and truce agreement. The leaders stressed the urgent need to intensify international efforts to ensure the success of negotiations and alleviate the prolonged humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people.
Both presidents reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, rejected any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land, and supported efforts to prevent further escalation and expansion of the conflict.
Following the call, a high-level Egyptian source told Daily News Egypt that the Rafah Crossing is an Egyptian-Palestinian crossing, and Egypt will reintroduce aid through a mechanism to be agreed upon in coordination with the Palestinian Authority.
The source added that Egypt is keen to quickly find temporary solutions to bring fuel into the Gaza Strip to operate hospitals that have stopped working.
The source indicated that the temporary arrangement through the Kerem Shalom Crossing, is based on Egypt’s keenness to alleviate the shortage of aid until Israel withdraws from the vicinity of Rafah crossing and returns to normal operation according to an agreed-upon mechanism.
Moreover, the source stressed Egypt’s commitment to the constants of the Palestinian cause and its insistence on not accepting the de facto policy that the other side is trying to impose on the ground.
