The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a press release today, Wednesday, that "Israel will not prevent the entry of aid into Gaza from Egypt, but supplies will not be allowed to reach the Palestinian Hamas movement." This comes after discussions with U.S. President Joe Biden, who called for easing the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Egypt, the only country sharing a border with the Gaza Strip other than Israel, is storing aid on its side of the border, but trucks have been unable to cross due to intense Israeli airstrikes. The statement noted, "At President Biden's request, Israel will not prevent humanitarian supplies from entering from Egypt as long as they are limited to food, water, and medicine for civilians in the southern Gaza Strip or those evacuated there, provided these supplies do not reach Hamas."
Israel has advised residents of Gaza to move from the north to the south for their safety during the conflict. Aid trucks approached the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza yesterday, Tuesday, coming from El Arish in northern Sinai, but they were unable to enter Gaza due to the absence of an agreement regarding aid delivery.
Ahead of Biden's visit to Israel today, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held discussions with Israeli officials and stated that he agreed with Israel on a plan to deliver aid to Gaza, although the timeline remains unclear. Egypt mentioned that the Rafah crossing, which was a vital artery before the fighting and has become an important route for desperately needed supplies, has not been officially closed but has become non-operational due to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza side of the border.
