Egypt refuses opening border for Palestinian exodus
Cairo says it is ready to open the crossing into Gaza for humanitarian aid deliveries but that it cannot support refusing the Palestinian's right to 'hold on to their cause and their land'
Cairo is has refused western requests to allow for the mass exit of Palestinians fleeing from Israeli airstrikes into its Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian sources told Reuters on 11 October.
The North African nation, which has been actively watching over the ongoing war between Gaza resistance factions and Israel and was historically the mediator of multiple ceasefires, refuses to set up safe passage corridors of travel for Palestinians being massacred by Israeli jets, with officials citing "the right of Palestinians to hold on to their cause and their land.”
The idea was floated around during talks held between Egypt, the US, Qatar, and Turkey of Egypt opening up the border. When asked about opening the border to displaced Palestinians, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry raised concerns about the potential struggles that may arise.
“Egypt was keen to open the Rafah crossing to provide humanitarian aid, food, and medicine,” Shoukry said. “But instability and the expansion of the conflict leads to more hardship and more refugees to safe areas, including Europe."
Ongoing efforts to send humanitarian aid to Gaza by Cairo are still underway.
In a joint effort between Egypt and the nations above, the source told Reuters that a discussion was taking place to send aid through the Rafah border crossing under the conditions of a geographically limited ceasefire.
Cairo has repeated warnings throughout the week against increasing attacks on Gaza as it could lead to a mass exodus of Palestinians.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that the escalating situation was “highly dangerous” but that he wouldn’t be willing to settle it at the expense of others.
Israeli army commander Richard Hecht suggested to the Palestinian people in Gaza during a TV interview that “Rafah crossing is still open. Anyone who can get out, I would advise them to get out.” to which he later fell back on.
The Israeli air force would later bomb the Gaza side of the Rafah Border crossing.
Cairo continues to be one of the leading mediators in this ongoing war, but their lack of outward action is symbolically made up by the Egyptian people as hundreds took to the streets, including journalists, to protest the ongoing siege by Israel on the Palestinians.