Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Egypt Independent
Published on 2024-02-10 09:26:11
The Egyptian Presidency responded to US President Joe Biden’s comments about aid entering the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing border in a statement on Friday. Biden had mistakenly referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the President of Mexico and suggested that Egypt had been reluctant to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.
However, the Egyptian Presidency clarified that Egypt had opened the Rafah border crossing without any restrictions and had mobilized significant humanitarian aid and relief from both Egypt and other countries worldwide. The aid was delivered to al-Arish Airport, but the delivery process was obstructed and halted by the persistent bombing of the Palestinian side of the crossing by Israel.
Once the shelling ceased, Egypt immediately made the necessary repairs and technical adjustments to resume the flow of humanitarian aid and assistance to the people of the Strip. The statement emphasized Egypt’s sense of humanitarian responsibility for Palestine and the pressure and challenges it endured to ensure the smooth flow of aid.
The Egyptian government, people, and civil society have provided up to 80 percent of the humanitarian aid delivered to the Gaza Strip. Egypt has also facilitated visits by international and UN officials to the crossing to assess the extensive efforts being made by Egyptian authorities on the ground.
Egypt is committed to leading, organizing, mobilizing, and delivering aid in significant quantities and urges all relevant stakeholders to cooperate and provide the necessary facilitations to secure access for the aid. The statement also stressed that any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinians from their land are doomed to fail and that the only way out of the current situation is through the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In conclusion, the Egyptian Presidency’s response highlighted its unwavering commitment to providing humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip, despite the challenges and obstacles it has faced. The statement also underscored Egypt’s support for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its belief in the necessity of the two-state solution.
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