Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
A US-led effort to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and provide an exit from the bombarded territory for foreign nationals faltered on Monday, despite international warnings of the mounting human toll from the Israel-Hamas war.
Washington and regional powers are pushing Israel to allow aid into Gaza and Egypt to open the Rafah crossing between its territory and the south of the enclave for third-country passport holders.
But the parties remained gridlocked as of Monday afternoon, even as the UN and other agencies warned of a humanitarian crisis.
“Until now, unfortunately, the Israeli government hasn’t taken a stance that allows the opening of the border crossing from the Gaza side to allow the entry of aid or the exit of third-country citizens,” Sameh Shoukry, Egypt’s foreign minister, told a press conference. “We are fully prepared . . . We hope there will be a breakthrough . . . But unfortunately, until now there is nothing new.”
Diplomats said it was proving difficult to bridge gaps between the parties, with Egypt worried about the prospect of having to host large numbers of refugees, and Israel reluctant to accede to international demands to let in aid.
“The parties can’t reach a political agreement,” one said. “Egypt doesn’t want [Palestinian refugees] and Israel is pushing to get into Gaza [for a ground invasion following the deadly attacks by Hamas this month].”
Martin Griffiths, the UN’s humanitarian chief, told the Financial Times that the international body was calling for “safe corridors for aid to get in and safe corridors for people to go places where they can get aid”.
He added: “We need Israel to respect international law and protect civilians . . . that particularly includes the movement of people; movements of people cannot be impeded by bombing or any other military activity, by either side.”
Israel and Hamas denied reports that a temporary ceasefire had been agreed to allow aid into Gaza.
The office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “There is currently no ceasefire for humanitarian aid in Gaza in return for the exit of foreigners.”
Despite reports that Rafah could open at 9am local time on Monday, diplomats and security officials said no deal had been reached between Israel and Egypt, and the border had not opened as of 3pm local time.
Ahead of returning to Israel on Monday after a tour that took in Egypt and the Gulf states, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the shared international priority was “to prevent the conflict from spreading, to safeguard innocent lives, and to get assistance to those in Gaza who need it”.
Western nations, including the US, have been trying to secure safe passage for their citizens in Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said on Monday it was pushing “at the highest levels” for humanitarian access via Rafah. The UN says 600,000 people in Gaza have already fled to the south of the territory, in line with Israeli instructions to leave the enclave’s main city, and are “in increasingly dire conditions”.
But Egypt has made it clear it is opposed to opening its borders to fleeing Palestinians — who could remain in the country — and wants aid to be sent to people inside Gaza instead.
Two ministers in Netanyahu’s government also vehemently rejected the idea of opening Rafah, with energy minister Israel Katz saying he “bitterly opposes” such a step.
“Our commitment is to the families of the murdered and kidnapped hostages — not to the Hamas murderers and those who helped them,” Katz said.
In comments that highlight the emotions stirred by the conflict he accused the UN of becoming a “propaganda arm of a terrorist Isis organisation”.
Israel has subjected Gaza to an intense bombardment since Hamas militants launched a devastating assault on its territory on October 7. The Israeli military has said that attack killed more than 1,400 people and added on Monday that 199 — more than previously thought — had also been taken hostage.
Palestinian health officials said on Monday that Israel’s bombardment had killed 2,750 people, surpassing casualties recorded during the 50-day Israel-Gaza war of 2014.
Israel has cut off supplies of electricity, water, fuel and goods to Gaza and ordered almost half of its 2.3mn people to leave the north of the strip ahead of an expected ground invasion.
The World Health Organization said on Sunday that four hospitals in the north were “no longer functioning as a result of damage and targeting”, adding that 21 hospitals in Gaza had received orders from Israeli forces to evacuate.
“Forced evacuation of hospitals may amount to a violation of international humanitarian law,” it said.
The spiralling violence has sparked concerns that fighting between Israel and Hamas could spill over into a regional conflict.
Hizbollah, the Iran-backed militia in southern Lebanon, and Israeli forces have repeatedly exchanged fire across the border in recent days, while there has also been a surge of violence in the occupied West Bank.
Israel said on Monday it would begin to evacuate the residents of 28 towns within 2km of its border with Lebanon.
Read the full article here