ISRAEL: An Egyptian-controlled border crossing into Gaza is set to reopen amid diplomatic efforts to provide aid to the Hamas-controlled region, which has been subjected to heavy Israeli airstrikes following the group’s attack on October 7, resulting in 1,300 casualties.
Shocked by the assault on towns and villages, Israel is making preparations for a ground invasion, imposing a strict embargo and launching the most devastating bombardment Gaza has ever witnessed.
In Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, hundreds of metric tonnes of aid from various countries have been delayed for several days, pending an agreement for their secure transport to Gaza and the evacuation of certain foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, following a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday, stated, “Rafah will be reopened. We are working with the United Nations, Egypt, Israel, and others to establish a mechanism to deliver assistance to those in need.”
Blinken did not specify a timeframe for the reopening of the crossing. David Satterfield, a seasoned U.S. diplomat appointed as a special envoy for Middle East humanitarian affairs on Sunday, is scheduled to arrive in Egypt on Monday to finalize the arrangements, according to Blinken.
NBC News, citing a Palestinian official, reported that the Rafah border crossing is expected to reopen at 9 a.m. on Monday. Meanwhile, ABC News, citing a security source, reported that the crossing would have a limited opening for a few hours on Monday without providing specific details.
Israel has urged weary residents in Gaza to relocate to the southern areas, a call that hundreds of thousands in the densely populated enclave, housing over 2 million people, have already heeded.
In contrast, Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, has instructed people to disregard Israel’s directive.
According to Palestinians in Gaza, the overnight bombing campaign by Israel was the most intense since it initiated retaliatory strikes last week. Gaza City, in particular, experienced a heavy barrage, with airstrikes targeting the vicinity of two of the city’s primary hospitals.
The United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA) has reported that fuel reserves in all hospitals across the Gaza Strip are expected to run out in approximately 24 hours, posing a significant risk to thousands of patients.
According to Gaza authorities, Israel’s retaliatory strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 2,670 individuals, with a quarter of them being children, and nearly 10,000 people have sustained injuries. Additionally, around 1,000 individuals are unaccounted for and believed to be trapped beneath rubble.
U.S. government officials have expressed their commitment to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and are preparing for a potential severe ground offensive.
President Joe Biden has urged Israel to adhere to the laws of war in its response to Hamas attacks. On Sunday, he stated in a social media post that “the overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas’ appalling attacks and are suffering as a result of them.”
Washington is also concerned about preventing the crisis from spreading, especially in light of the escalating border conflicts between Israel and Lebanon.
Blinken stated that the leaders of the Arab governments he had recently visited were committed to preventing the war from escalating.
Blinken, who was scheduled to return to Israel on Monday, stated, “They are using their own influence, their own relationships, to try to make sure that this doesn’t happen.” Blinken is also working to negotiate the release of 155 prisoners, including Americans, who Israel claims were taken back into Gaza by Hamas.
Anticipated ground offensive
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened Israel’s expanded emergency cabinet on Sunday, including former opposition lawmakers, as a demonstration of national unity. He asserted, “Hamas thought we would be demolished. It is we who will demolish Hamas.”
The Israeli military, having deployed tanks along Gaza’s border in anticipation of a potential ground operation, maintains that its actions are focused on targeting Hamas and its infrastructure in retaliation.
On Sunday, Israeli aircraft conducted strikes on approximately 250 military targets, resulting in the death of the Hamas southern district commander, according to the military.
Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi addressed soldiers near the Gaza border, informing them that they would be entering Gaza with the objective of rooting out Hamas, targeting “every place, every commander, every operator.”
“You are about to do something big and important, that needs to change the situation for a long time in a clear way,” stated Halevi.
Humanitarian crisis
An Israeli-imposed blockade has hindered the entry of essential supplies, including fuel, food, and water, into Gaza. However, a minister stated on Sunday that Prime Minister Netanyahu had agreed with President Biden to resume the water supply to certain parts of southern Gaza.
According to the Israeli military, around 600,000 residents of the northern half of Gaza, which includes over 1 million residents in Gaza City, have left the area.
Some Palestinians who had relocated to the southern part of Gaza mentioned that they were returning north because they faced attacks wherever they went.
Early on Monday, Israeli aircraft conducted airstrikes in the vicinity of Gaza City’s Al-Quds hospital, causing ambulances at the facility to be immobilized due to the strikes, as reported by Palestinian media.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated that Israel had issued a warning on Saturday for the hospital to evacuate, but it remains unable to transport sick and injured individuals out of the facility.
UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini stated that UN humanitarian efforts in Gaza “are on the verge of collapse.”
“The number of people seeking shelter in our schools and other UNRWA facilities in the south is absolutely overwhelming, and we do not have any more capacity to deal with them,” he added.
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