Friday, October 20, 2023
The UN humanitarian chief says he is involved in advanced negotiations.
High hopes for quick and sustained relief amid uncertainty.
Desperately needed international aid piling up in Egypt near Gaza.
The United Nations has announced that first aid is expected to arrive in Gaza via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt "around the next day".
Martin Griffiths, the UN humanitarian chief, said they were engaged in advanced negotiations with the relevant parties to facilitate the relief operation. The UN's goal is to ensure a quick and safe start to this humanitarian effort.
While the exact timing remains uncertain, there is hope for a quick and sustained delivery of aid. The humanitarian community is stressing the urgent need for a mechanism to transport aid to southern Gaza, all while continuing to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
Desperately needed international aid is piling up in Egypt near Gaza, where Palestinians face critical food and water shortages due to continued Israeli bombardment. The situation in Gaza deteriorated rapidly, with more than one million of its 2.4 million inhabitants displaced.
Thousands of Palestinian refugees in the Al-Baddawi refugee camp in Lebanon take to the streets in protest of the genocide being carried out right now by Israel in besieged #Gaza. pic.twitter.com/fFLpXLEKK9
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 19, 2023
Egypt's state television Al Qahera News initially announced the opening of the Rafah crossing, which serves as the only route into Gaza, on Friday. However, Cairo later cited the need to repair the road and postponed the opening.
The recent escalation in violence stems from a major attack launched by the Islamist militant group Hamas from the Gaza Strip on October 7. The attack took a heavy toll, with Israeli officials reporting at least 1,400 dead, mostly civilians.
In response, Israel carried out a large-scale aerial bombardment that caused considerable destruction. An impending ground invasion is expected, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, the situation remains critical, with at least 4,137 Palestinians, mostly civilians, reported dead as a result of the ongoing conflict.
