Biden says Egypt will open Gaza crossing for 20 aid trucks
Washington, Oct 18 (EFE). – United States President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had agreed to open the border crossing between his country and the Gaza Strip to allow 20 trucks of humanitarian aid to enter.
The US president made the announcement while speaking to the press aboard the presidential plane, Air Force One, during a stopover in Germany on his way back to Washington from Israel, which he visited on Wednesday.
Biden said that if the Islamist group Hamas intercepts the aid, it will be cut off; but if the trucks reach civilians as planned, then Egypt will allow more in.
Later, in statements to the press on board the plane, John Kirby, one of the White House spokesmen, clarified that the trucks will enter Gaza in the coming days because the roads need to be repaired.
Currently, according to an NGO, hundreds of trucks from Egyptian non-governmental organizations are still waiting for the Rafah border crossing to open.
The Palestinian side of the crossing has been destroyed by Israeli bombs in recent days.
Biden announced Wednesday during his visit to Israel that the war cabinet formed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted that humanitarian aid could enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing, which connects to Egypt’s Sinai, the only part of the enclave that Israel does not control.
“The truth is that Al Sisi deserves a lot of credit,” Biden stated in reference to the opening of Rafah, emphasizing that both the Egyptian president and Netanyahu had been cooperative and had taken a step forward.
“Israel has been badly victimized, but the truth is they have an opportunity to alleviate the suffering of people who have nowhere to go – that’s what they should do,” Biden said during the refueling stop at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
During his visit to Israel, Biden met with Netanyahu, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and the war cabinet, all of whom he reassured of America’s unwavering support for Israel.
“You are not alone” was a phrase heard in all of the American resident’s public appearances.
According to a statement from the White House, Biden also spoke by phone on Wednesday with Al Sisi, with whom he discussed the possibility of establishing mechanisms to ensure that aid is distributed only to the civilian population in Gaza. EFE
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