Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) António Guterres traveled to the Sinai peninsula to facilitate a humanitarian passage into Gaza amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and the possibility of a ground assault.
An understanding, assumed to be in place by US President Joe Biden after his brief Tel Aviv visit, was to have the Egypt-Gaza border crossing open by Friday.
However, due to complications in the specifics of the agreement and damage to a road, the US and Egyptian officials have announced delays.
“We are witnessing a paradox: behind these walls, we have two million people that are suffering enormously, have no water, no food, no medicine, no fuel, that is under fire, that needs everything to survive”.
“On this side,” he continued, indicating the convoy carrying lifesaving supplies, “we have seen so many trucks loaded with water, with food, with medicines – exactly the same thing that is needed on this side of the wall. These are a lifeline. They are the difference between life and death for so many people in Gaza.”
Guterres urged for swift security checks and immediate access for substantial aid deliveries. Once operational, the Rafah crossing will permit an initial batch of 20 aid trucks to enter Gaza under the Biden arrangement.
This is in stark contrast to the daily average of 450 trucks before the present conflict, ignited by a Hamas attack on October 7 that resulted in the death of 1,400 Israelis, predominantly civilians.
