Egypt and US Agree to Send Humanitarian Aid to Gaza via Kerem Shalom Crossing
Cairo: Egypt and the United States have agreed to send substantial quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The decision was reached on Friday during a phone conversation between Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and US President Joe Biden, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
According to an official statement from the Egyptian presidency, this arrangement will serve as a temporary measure until “a legal mechanism is reached” to facilitate the resumption of operations at the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side.
While the statement did not specify the parties involved in establishing this mechanism, the White House indicated that President Biden, during the call, reaffirmed his commitment to support efforts to reopen the Rafah crossing with arrangements acceptable to both Egypt and Israel. Furthermore, the US agreed to dispatch a senior delegation to Cairo next week for further discussions.
The Rafah crossing, a critical entry point for humanitarian aid into Gaza, has been under Israeli military control since May 7, following the escalation of conflict with Gaza’s ruling Hamas, resulting in a halt to aid deliveries through this route.
In response, Israel announced the reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing on the subsequent day, facilitating the entry of aid from both Egypt and Israel into Gaza.
Located south of the Rafah crossing, the Kerem Shalom crossing, known in Egypt as the “Karam Abu Salem crossing,” is situated at the junction of the borders between Egypt and Gaza and between Israel and Gaza.
During the phone conversation, the two leaders also emphasized the need for intensified international efforts to address the prolonged humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as stated by the Egyptian presidency. They rejected any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land and affirmed their support for all measures aimed at preventing the escalation and expansion of the conflict.
