Egypt is prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing, yet Israeli authorities have not initiated steps to open the border crossing from the Palestinian territory, stated Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during a joint press briefing with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, in Cairo.
"We are prepared to transport aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing," - he responded to journalists. - "Regrettably, the Israeli government has not made a decision to open the crossing from the Gaza Strip."
The foreign minister stressed that Egypt has been actively advocating for the opening of the crossing to facilitate humanitarian aid since the beginning of the conflict. Shoukry highlighted, "Our primary focus is on achieving a necessary ceasefire and the prompt opening of humanitarian crossings."
Earlier, Al Arabiya TV reported that a temporary ceasefire would go into effect in the southern Gaza Strip starting at 09:00 local time (equivalent to Moscow time) to ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave and to enable civilian evacuations. Egyptian security sources confirmed to Reuters that the Rafah crossing along Egypt's border with Gaza would be open for a five-hour humanitarian pause. Over a hundred trucks are ready to transport humanitarian aid through the border crossing to the Palestinian enclave from El Arish. However, both the Israeli Prime Minister's Office and the Palestinian Hamas movement denied the existence of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the opening of the crossing.
On October 15, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the forthcoming opening of the Rafah crossing after discussions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS