Egypt on Wednesday dodged the question of whether to open the Rafah crossing to allow Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to escape the blockade and intense bombardment of the enclave, which has been under siege by the Israeli army since the Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel.

On Tuesday, an attack on the city of Rafah (south of the Gaza Strip).Photo: Agerpres/Xinhua

“A total blockade is in place and all Israeli border crossings are closed to Gazans. Egypt keeps the Rafah crossing open for the delivery of humanitarian aid, food and medical supplies,” said Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry at a joint press conference with his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani in Cairo, EFE reports. Agerpres Rafah is the only border crossing in the Gaza Strip that is not controlled by Israel.

When asked by an Italian journalist whether Egypt would allow Palestinians from Gaza to pass through this border point, the head of Egyptian diplomacy only noted that “conflicts contribute to illegal migration and flight to safer areas.”

“And, of course, Europe is the center of gravity” for migrants, also noted the Egyptian minister, who has already warned in recent months that his country, which is experiencing a serious economic crisis, cannot cope with the wave of the refugee war on its own. natives of the Sudan, who numbered about 300,000 in Egypt.

In this way, he appealed to the European Union, recalling that Egypt, unlike other countries of North Africa and the Middle East, “prevented the exit of illegal migrants from its territory.” Egypt “continues to apply this principle, which is important to our partners, but it involves a huge task if sufficient support is not received from European partners,” said Minister Sameh Shoukry.

Therefore, “it is important that the EU looks favorably on providing this support to Egypt to be able to continue this policy” of preventing an additional wave of illegal migrants to Europe, he added.

According to the UN, at least 264,000 people have been displaced inside the Gaza Strip after continuous bombing by Israel, which has also cut off water, energy, food and fuel supplies to the enclave of about 2.3 million residents.

The Islamist movement Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on Saturday, a surprise attack on Israel with thousands of rockets and incursions into Israeli communities bordering the Gaza Strip. This operation provoked a strong military response from Israel with intensive bombing of the Palestinian enclave. and ground fighting with Hamas fighters who entered Israeli territory.

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