Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accused Israel on Wednesday of obstructing aid deliveries from the Rafah border crossing to Gaza by implementing procedures that disrupt movements.
Al-Sisi asserted that Israel’s actions constitute a form of pressure on Gaza and its residents in the midst of the conflict and hostage-related negotiations.
Addressing a gathering of military officers and state officials, President al-Sisi expressed concern over the decrease in aid deliveries, stating, “We used to send Gaza 600 trucks a day. But for the past two to three days, we are not delivering more than 200 to 200 trucks (of aid) per day. How are these people (in Gaza) living?”
He attributed the delays to procedures on the Israeli side, hindering the smooth flow of aid through the Rafah crossing. Israel has previously denied holding up aid to Gaza via this crossing.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza, marked by Israel’s military operations and a surprise cross-border assault by Hamas militants, has exacerbated a severe humanitarian crisis, leaving the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people homeless and facing acute shortages of essential supplies.