Egypt must reopen Rafah crossing soon: Iran diplomat

A senior Iranian diplomat says Egypt’s delay in issuing permits for the delivery of Iran’s humanitarian aid to Gaza is “unacceptable”, urging Cairo to immediately reopen the Rafah border crossing.

Cairo’s long delay in issuing permits to flights carrying Iran’s foodstuff and medical aid to people in the besieged Gaza Strip through Egypt is “unacceptable”, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday.

“We strictly call on the relevant officials in Cairo to accelerate the issuance of permits,” the Iranian official said.

He added that 57 Palestinian infants, children and women, who have been critically injured in the Israeli regime’s atrocities in the coastal enclave, are waiting for Egypt to allow them to fly to Iran for medical treatment.

Amir-Abdollahian noted that Iran’s first cargo of humanitarian aid supplies, weighing 100 tons, and the list of injured Palestinians ready for transfer to Iran have been put at the disposal of Egyptian Foreign Ministry and Egypt’s interest section in Tehran since a few days ago “but no flying license has been issued yet.”

Despite international outcries, Cairo is keeping the Rafah border crossing closed. The 12-kilometer crossing links Egypt to the Gaza Strip, under crippling Israeli siege since 2007.

On July 24, Amir-Abdollahian said that the consignment of relief aid provided by the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) for Gazans has been flown into the Egyptian capital Cairo and is waiting to be cleared for transfer into Gaza via the Rafah border crossing.

At least 1,262 people have been killed in the Israeli aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip since July 8. Over 7,000 people, mostly civilians, have also been injured.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, has been launching retaliatory attacks against Israel. Tel Aviv confirms 53 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza war, but Hamas puts the number at over 100.