By Ibrahim Khazin
CAIRO (AA) – Egypt expressed willingness on Friday to work with the US to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying Cairo has already done so through Rafah crossing in collaboration with the global community.
Egypt had “opened the Rafah border crossing from its side without any restrictions or conditions,” the Egyptian presidency said in a statement in response to remarks made by US President Joe Biden, who claimed to have convinced President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to open the crossing gate and allow aid to enter.
“Referring to U.S. President Joe Biden's remarks on 8 February 2024 on the situation in the Gaza Strip, the Presidency of the Republic confirms the alignment of stances and the persistent joint efforts and close cooperation between Egypt and the United States of America with regard to achieving calm in the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.
The Egyptian presidency added: “With regard to Egypt’s position and role in delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and relief to the Palestinian brothers, the Presidency of the Republic definitively states that, from the first moment, Egypt has opened the Rafah border crossing from its side without any restrictions or conditions.”
It clarified that Egypt “has mobilized massive humanitarian aid and relief, flowing from both Egypt itself and countries worldwide who delivered their support directly to Al Arish Airport.”
“Egypt has exerted significant pressure on all concerned parties to ensure the flow of this aid into the sector. However, the persistent bombing of the Palestinian side of the crossing by Israel, which was repeated four times, obstructed and halted the delivery process,” continued the statement.
Egypt emphasizes that “once the shelling of the other side of the crossing ended, Egypt immediately undertook the necessary repairs and technical adjustments, facilitating the resumption of the flow of a substantial amount of humanitarian aid and assistance to the people of the Strip.”
Egypt also emphasizes that any attempts or endeavors that seek to forcibly displace the Palestinians from their land are doomed to fail, it added.
US President Joe Biden said at a press conference at the White House on Thursday, “I think as you know initially, the president of Mexico (Egypt), Sisi, did not want to open up the gate to humanitarian material to get in. I talked to him. I convinced him to open the gate,”
“I talked to Bibi (Netanyahu) to open the gate on the Israeli side,” Biden said, adding, “I've been pushing really hard, really hard, to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza. There are a lot of innocent people who are starving, a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying, and it's got to stop.”
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala