Egypt ready to allow thousands of trucks into Gaza daily: SIS head

Ahram Online , Tuesday 31 Oct 2023

Egypt is ready to allow thousands of trucks to cross into Gaza daily through the Rafah crossing, but Israel is delaying them and completely prohibiting the entry of fuel, Head of State Information Service (SIS) Diaa Rashwan said on Tuesday.

Head of State Information Service (SIS) Diaa Rashwan
Head of State Information Service (SIS) Diaa Rashwan

 

In a press conference for foreign and local media at the Rafah crossing, Rashwan revealed that since the start of the attack on Gaza, only 250 aid trucks crossed into the strip through Rafah.

He emphasized that since the Israeli army is occupying Gaza, they may strike any trucks sent through.

“Israel inspects aid trucks slowly to prevent them from reaching the people of Gaza,” Rashwan stated.

“We seek international protection for the trucks,” he said, calling on the international community to bear their responsibilities towards Gaza.

"You are forbidden from entering Gaza. What prevents you is the occupying army, not Egypt," Rashwan told the reporters from international newspapers and agencies.

Rashwan emphasized that the Egyptian authorities bear the responsibility for safeguarding the lives of correspondents and journalists. He pointed out that Western and international officials do not visit Gaza; instead, they travel to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with the bravest among them venturing to Ramallah.

“The safety of the international officials in Gaza is not guaranteed,” he said.

Rashwan highlighted that, while the matter of journalists entering the Gaza Strip holds significance, it is not the foremost issue at this time. The primary concern centers on facilitating the entry of aid for Gaza's children and civilians.

Rashwan stated that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has affirmed several constants of the Egyptian position. The first of which is that what is happening in the Gaza Strip now is aggression, which neither Egypt, international law, nor the international community accepts.

He added that President El-Sisi has emphasized those constants during previous phone calls with world leaders.

Rashwan also reasserted that the Palestinian people do not accept being displaced from their land. He emphasized that Egypt's sovereignty over its territory belongs to its people and the Palestinian issue cannot be resolved by displacing the Palestinian people to Egypt.

“Egypt will not be an artificial homeland for anyone,” he said.

He also stated that what is happening in Gaza is not a war against armed groups, pointing out that the right to self-defense cannot extend to include attacks on innocent civilians.

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