The worst predictions seem to have been confirmed. Humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians will also not start arriving today, as warned by the UN Humanitarian Aid Coordination Office. This is not a completely unexpected issue, according to information that began to emerge this morning in the US.
Several sources told the American network CNN on Thursday that this evening it was not expected that the Egyptian Rafah crossing—the only communication route in the Gaza Strip that is not controlled by Israel—will open this Friday to receive the first humanitarian convoy aid, consisting of about 20 trucks.
“I wouldn’t bet money on those trucks passing tomorrow (today, Friday),” a source familiar with the discussions told the aforementioned media, saying that the situation is “volatile.” Currently, none of the three parties that reached the agreement—the US, Israel, and Egypt—has confirmed or denied this exclusive information.
Among the various reasons that occur in this postponement of the delivery of humanitarian aid are the problems of access and achieving a certain stability in the flow of convoys; the purpose is to increase the number of trucks in demand before the increase. in conflict, that is, 100 trucks per day.
They point to this week as an important date
Specifically, road repairs are needed on the Egyptian side of the crossing to overcome fears that these deliveries will arrive on time and not be effective over time.
Along these lines, when will the Rafah crossing be opened? US officials told CNN that this first convoy will cross this week and that Saturday is the most likely day.
The UN believes that the opening of the pass will happen between today and tomorrow
The entry of humanitarian aid for the population of the Gaza Strip may take place in the next few hours, but it will probably be tomorrow, said the spokesman of the UN Humanitarian Aid Coordination Office, Jens Laerke.
The Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, and the humanitarian coordinator of the organization, Martin Griffith, agreed with the Government of Egypt to open the Rafah crossing between this country and Gaza, the only access to the Palestinian territory that is not under the UN. Israeli military control
As the Reuters agency found out, this delay was motivated by differences in the aid inspection mechanism—Tel Aviv never allowed the material to be used for military purposes—and the departure of those residents of Gaza with foreign passports. On the last point, there is a lot of tension with the Egyptian government, which is afraid of the large arrival of Gaza refugees in its territory.
