Iran FM urges Egypt to unconditionally open Rafah crossing to allow Gazans access to basic needs

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has urged Egypt to “unconditionally” open the Rafah crossing to allow the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip immediate access of to medicine, food, and fuel.

“It is highly expected that top authorities in Egypt will open the Rafah border crossing unconditionally to send medicine, food and fuel to the entire Gaza [Strip],” Amir-Abdollahian said in a post on X on Wednesday.

“Today, the eyes of the women and children of Gaza, who are without water, medicine, or food, are on the Rafah border and [they are waiting for] Egypt’s decisive decision,” he wrote.

The Rafah border, located in the south of the Gaza Strip, is one of two main crossings for inhabitants of Gaza and the only crossing that is not directly controlled by the Israeli regime. 

All goods and humanitarian aid cross through the Rafah border. But because of the blockade imposed on Gaza by Israel, the border has only intermittently been open to Palestinians. 

Palestinians have accused Egypt of bolstering the Israeli blockade of Gaza by refusing to reopen the Rafah crossing.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the coastal territory, including hospitals, residences, and houses of worship, since Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise attack, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, against the regime on October 7.

Since then, the Israeli regime has also imposed a complete blockade on Gaza, impeding the Strip’s access to food, water and medicine.

At least 16,248 Palestinians, including 7,112 children and 4,885 women, have been killed and more than 43,616 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the territory since October 7.

The Gaza-based Ministry of Health said Wednesday that a total of 800,000 Palestinians in the northern part of the besieged Strip are currently without health coverage.

The ministry warned against “acts of genocide committed by Israel in the northern Gaza Strip.”