杏MAP导航

By Nathan Morley

Egypt’s foreign minister reaffirmed Saturday that the Rafah border crossing, the only direct link between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, will not be used to displace Palestinians from their land.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the crossing is designated solely for humanitarian aid. He dismissed suggestions that Palestinians wish to leave Gaza, saying they are being driven by a policy of starvation.

Lazzarini echoed the concern, calling the humanitarian crisis in Gaza “man-made” and citing Israeli restrictions as a major obstacle to delivering aid through Rafah.

The Rafah Border Crossing is the sole crossing point between Egypt and Palestine's Gaza Strip and Gaza's sole border point with a country other than Israel.   (ANSA)

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza City, where warplanes destroyed the 15-story al-Sousi tower in the western part of the city. Residents said multiple missiles reduced the building to rubble within minutes. The strike came a day after the demolition of the 13-floor Mushtaha tower, also in western Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces said the al-Sousi tower was used by Hamas for intelligence gathering and surveillance of Israeli troop movements. The military has intensified operations across Gaza in recent weeks, targeting residential areas, high-rise buildings, and what it describes as militant infrastructure, as part of its campaign to eliminate Hamas.