An Egyptian-controlled border crossing into Gaza is set to reopen amidst diplomatic efforts to provide aid to the Hamas-controlled strip, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on October 15.
The residents of Gaza have been reeling from intense Israeli bombings since a deadly rampage by Hamas.
Israel unleashed a bombing campaign on Gaza in response to a deadly attack by Hamas on October 7, killing at least 2,670 people in Gaza, the majority of which are ordinary Palestinians. Israel also imposed a strict blockade and is preparing for a possible ground invasion.
“Rafah will be reopened. We’re putting in place with the United Nations, with Egypt, with Israel, with others, a mechanism by which to get the assistance in and to get it to people who need it,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday. Blinken did not give a specific time for the crossing to reopen.
Around 600 Americans reside in Gaza, according to the US State Department. “There may be very little notice if the crossing opens and it may only open for a limited time,” the State Department has warned.
Rafah is the only way out of Gaza
Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is the only outlet to get people out of the enclave and supplies into it. But the crossing has been closed for much of the past week. Media reports suggested that Egypt had blocked the gates of the crossing with concrete slabs. However, Egypt denied reports of closure, saying that the Palestinian side of the border had been damaged by repeated Israeli airstrikes.
Hundreds of metric tons of international aid have been stalled in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, awaiting a deal for safe delivery to Gaza and the evacuation of foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing.
Gaza, home to 2.3 million people and one of the most densely populated area across the world, has faced a military blockade since 2007, severely restricting movement. There are two main crossings in and out of Gaza for civilians, Erez (with Israel) and Rafah (Egypt), and both have experienced frequent and lengthy closures.
After meeting Egyptian leader, Blinken says Gaza crossing will be opened
Blinken, who is on a Mideast diplomatic tour, met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo. Describing the encounter as a “very good conversation” the US diplomat noted that both countries have facilitated substantial material aid for Gaza, with plans to reopen the Rafah crossing.
“We have put in place, Egypt has put in place a lot of material support for people in Gaza, and Rafah will be reopened.”
El-Sissi, during the meeting, told Blinken that Israel had responded disproportionately by launching its heaviest-ever strikes in retaliation for a devastating incursion by Hamas on October 7.
Following a trip to Israel, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, to discuss earlier sessions with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority on the escalating situation after the Hamas attack and Israeli bombardment.
Blinken said that in his meetings with Arab leaders, there “was a determination of shared view that we have to do everything possible to make sure this doesn’t spread to other places, a shared view to safeguard innocent lives, a shared view to get assistance to Palestinians in Gaza who need it and we’re working very much on that.”
Biden says Israel occupation of Gaza would be ‘big mistake’
In a recent statement, US President Joe Biden cautioned that any Israeli move to occupy Gaza would be a “big mistake.” This comes as optimism grows regarding the opening of the enclave’s border with Egypt for humanitarian aid, while Israeli troops continue to prepare for a ground invasion.
Biden, during an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday, endorsed the necessity of eliminating Hamas, however, he emphasized the importance of establishing a path to a Palestinian state.
The White House also appointed David Satterfield, a former ambassador to Lebanon and Turkey, to lead U.S. efforts to get humanitarian assistance to “vulnerable people through the Middle East.” Satterfield was expected to arrive in Israel on Monday.