More than a month after taking control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and amid ongoing international and UN calls for its reopening, the Israeli army set fire to the departure hall and several facilities on the Palestinian side of the border crossing in southern Gaza. This was reported by the government media office in Gaza, affiliated with Hamas. A photo circulated by Palestinian accounts on social media on Monday showed the departure hall at the crossing completely burned.
Military Incursion: In Rafah city, a number of Israeli military vehicles stationed along the Salah al-Din (Philadelphi) route on the Egyptian-Palestinian border advanced towards the city center under heavy fire, coinciding with another incursion in the Zaytoun neighborhood in southwestern Gaza City, according to Anadolu Agency.
The burning of the departure hall occurred despite repeated urgings from various UN organizations to open the crossing to allow aid into the besieged Palestinian sector. The World Health Organization recently emphasized the urgent need to reopen the Rafah crossing or find an alternative mechanism to deliver relief to millions of Palestinians, some of whom are on the brink of starvation.
Israel seized the Palestinian side of this crossing on May 7, halting aid deliveries. Meanwhile, Egypt has repeatedly demanded that Israeli forces withdraw from the vital Gaza border crossing and hand over its administration to the Palestinians.
