CAIRO (Portal) Egypt’s Foreign Ministry warned on Friday against calls by the Israeli army for more than a million Gaza residents to leave their homes and move south, saying it would have a serious impact on humanitarian conditions in the enclave .
Such a move would be a “serious violation” of international humanitarian law and would endanger the lives of Gazans by placing hundreds of thousands of people in areas unsuitable for their accommodation, the ministry said in a statement.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Friday that Palestinian civilians “who want to save their lives” should heed Israel’s warning and head south to the Gaza Strip.
Egypt borders Gaza and is alarmed by the prospect that its residents could be displaced by Israel’s siege and bombardment of the area, launched in retaliation for a devastating incursion by Hamas militants.
At a military graduation ceremony on Thursday evening, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah alSisi said it was “important that the (Palestinian) people remain steadfast and present in their country” as Egypt strives to ensure humanitarian aid.
Cairo has tried to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza through Rafah, the main border crossing into the territory not controlled by Israel, but two security sources said on Friday that negotiations with the United States and other countries have not taken place so far able to find a way to provide assistance.
Operations at the crossing were disrupted earlier this week by Israeli attacks on the Palestinian side of the border, and civilians have not crossed the crossing since Tuesday.
According to a third security source, this Friday two flights from Turkey with food and medical aid arrived at Al Arish airport in northern Sinai, about 45 km from the Gaza border. A flight from Jordan arrived on Thursday.
The aid material was to be stored at a sports stadium in Al Arish until a route for its delivery could be opened, one of the security sources said.
(Reporting by Yomna Ehab, Enas Alashray and Mohamed Ahmed Hassan)