As Israel hammers Hamas in Gaza, more aid flights land in Egypt's Sinai

A Red Crescent official and an aid worker reported that more assistance flights arrived on Saturday in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, where supplies are being stored until a deal is made for delivery into the adjacent Gaza Strip.

Egypt claims that their side of the Rafah crossing, which connects the Sinai Peninsula with the Gaza Strip, is still open, despite the fact that Israeli bombardments on the Palestinian side of the border have caused traffic to be suspended for several days.

According to two Egyptian security officials, there is no agreement being discussed with Israel and the United States to deliver aid into the enclave, which has delayed the scheduled evacuation of certain Gaza residents with foreign passports.

After talks with Egypt, Israel, and Qatar aimed at opening the border, a senior U.S. State Department spokesman claimed that the United States had advised its citizens that they might move closer to the bridge.

According to a senior State Department official, Washington has been in touch with Palestinian-Americans in Gaza, some of whom have expressed a desire to escape through Rafah. However, it is unknown whether the Palestinian Islamist party Hamas will provide access to the crossing.

Under the condition of anonymity, a third Egyptian security source claimed that while Egypt has been bolstering security on its side of the border, including relocating concrete obstacles, claims that forces were blocking off the crossing were false.

For the 2.3 million people living in the Gaza Strip, the main point of evacuation that is not under Israeli control is the Rafah border. Since Hamas assumed control of the enclave in 2007, Israel and Egypt have maintained a siege, limiting the passage of people and goods.

The border remains blocked, according to the military spokesperson for Israel, and any passage into Egypt must be negotiated with Israel.

At least five planes have arrived this week delivering humanitarian goods for Gaza, according to the Red Cross official and the aid worker, including two that have just touched down at Sinai’s Al Arish airport, which is roughly 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the Gaza border.

A plane, according to the World Health Organisation carrying trauma medicines and health supplies had landed.

“Every hour these supplies remain on the Egyptian side of the border, more girls and boys, women and men, especially those vulnerable or disabled, will die,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

Egypt is concerned about the possibility that people of Gaza may be forced to leave due to Israel’s embargo and bombardment of the region, which was initiated in retribution for the deadly incursion by Hamas terrorists.

Like other Arab nations, Egypt has stated that as the conflict intensifies, Palestinians should remain on their territories and that it is striving to ensure that relief reaches the Gaza Strip.

The Turkish foreign minister stated he supported Egypt’s stance while in Cairo on Saturday.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that during a separate trip to the Egyptian capital that Germany is one of the nations seeking to bring help into Gaza and evacuate its citizens.

(With agency inputs)