Challenges in Opening the Rafah Crossing
The foreign secretary has stated that the United Kingdom has “not yet been successful” in opening the Rafah crossing into Egypt to assist British nationals in leaving Gaza.
British nationals have been warned to be prepared to use the sole exit route from Gaza, the southern Gaza crossing.
Israel, Egypt, and Hamas control entry.
“Other leading political voices in the region” and Israel, Egypt, and James Cleverly, he stated, were collaborating to open the border.
Mr. Cleverly stated on Sunday with Laura Kuensberg that the gate was crucial for the evacuation of British nationals and the provision of “humanitarian support for the people of Gaza.”
Additionally, the United States government is attempting to clear the Rafah border so that Palestinian-Americans may depart. Saturday’s statement stated that for several hours, officials had been collaborating with Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to open the facility.
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Citizens of the United States are being advised to proceed towards Rafah, according to a spokesperson for the State Department, because “the opening of the crossing could occur with minimal advance notice and for a limited duration.”
Sunday in London, Rishi Sunak met with King Abdullah of Jordan. Downing Street reported that the two leaders discussed “diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation in the wider Middle East.”
Humanitarian Concerns in Gaza
Gaza has been without food, water, and electricity for the past week, which has caused international concern regarding the possibility of a humanitarian catastrophe.
The Israeli government has issued a directive for British nationals to relocate southward. Messages have been dispatched to them cautioning them to remain vigilant if the border crossing reopens.
Mohammed Ghalayini, a dual British-Palestinian national who was in Gaza at the time of the Hamas attack south of Israel, was visiting relatives. He stated, “I was unable to receive any information regarding how to reach the border crossing; our internet signal is extremely unreliable, so that did not reach me in time.”
He stated that earlier this week there was correspondence with consular representatives “but they simply redirected us to the Foreign Office registration page… “I must say that how the United Kingdom government is handling this is not impressive.” Despite Mr. Ghalayini’s desire to remain in Gaza with his family, he asserts that a visit to the frontier would be hazardous due to its location on a “vast, exposed road.”
The Israeli government has instructed the 1.1 million civilians residing in the northern region of Gaza to relocate south in anticipation of a ground offensive that targets Hamas. Several weekend attacks in Israel killed nearly 1,300 people.
At least seventeen British nationals died or went missing after the raids. The United Kingdom estimates that sixty thousand or more British citizens are in Israel or Gaza.
Diplomatic Efforts and International Support
Four government charter flights from the United Kingdom have departed Israel, with two more scheduled for Sunday.
Mr. Cleverly declined to specify whether the United Kingdom considered Israel’s actions to violate international law.
Mr. Cleverly was presented with excerpts from the United Nations and the Refugee Council, which allege Israel committed a “war crime” by forcibly evicting civilians from northern Gaza in anticipation of a military assault, and that Israel had placed Gaza under “siege” in violation of the Geneva Convention.
In response, Mr. Cleverly stated, “You omitted several additional quotations that contradict them.
Once more, he insisted: “The government of the United Kingdom is steadfast in its commitment to complying with international humanitarian law.”
“And when we see breaches of that we raise that, including with Israel.”
According to the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office, earlier this week, Mr. Sunak discussed the situation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Meanwhile, Mr. Cleverly maintained communication with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry.
Last week, the in-laws of the first minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf were in Gaza to visit relatives.
A sentimental “very difficult night” ensued following his mother-in-law’s phone call to “say her goodbyes” amid warnings of an impending rocket attack, according to Mr. Yousaf. No such strike materialized.
Asserting that he “prayed to God” that they would escape unscathed, Mr. Yousaf demanded an urgent cessation of hostilities to permit the passage of a humanitarian corridor.
This week, the SNP conference approved an emergency motion of solidarity with the victims in Gaza and Israel by a unanimous vote.
A Downing Street spokesperson commented on Mr. Sunak’s meeting with King Abdullah as follows: “The prime minister reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself in the wake of the terrorist attack last week, and stated that Hamas’ abhorrent actions should not detract from the just cause of the Palestinian people.”
They additionally stated that the leaders “agreed on the importance of taking measures to protect civilians in Gaza, including British and Jordanian citizens caught up in the violence, as well as ensuring humanitarian aid reaches those in need”.
King Abdullah’s office stated that his stopover in London was in support of “rallying international support to end the war on Gaza” during a tour of Europe.
The “need to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians” and the “dangerous and deteriorating situation in Gaza” will be the subjects of his travels to Rome, Berlin, and Paris, following his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday.
