Türkiye to keep cooperating with Egypt on humanitarian aid to Gaza, says envoy

By Muhammed Emin Canik

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye will continue cooperating with Egypt to provide Gaza humanitarian and food aid, the Turkish ambassador to Cairo said on Tuesday.

At a breakfast event in the Turkish Embassy, Salih Mutlu Sen said there was no alternative to Egypt in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, which the country borders.

Citing statements by UN officials, Sen noted that 95% of aid sent to Gaza, especially food aid, was delivered via Egypt through the Rafah Border Crossing.

Expressing hope that the security situation at the border would improve as soon as possible to facilitate more aid to Gaza, he said Israel, which launched a ground attack on Rafah despite international warnings, was responsible for the current deterioration.

The Israeli army should withdraw from the Palestinian side of the Rafah Border Crossing, which it illegally occupied earlier this month, said Sen, stressing that both Türkiye and Egypt demanded this.

He stressed that high-level visits between Türkiye and Egypt would continue on an increasing basis in the coming period and added that avenues for cooperation and solidarity, especially on Palestine, would be on the agenda of these visits.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.

More than 35,600 Palestinians have been killed, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and nearly 79,900 others injured since last October following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered it to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Gozde Bayar