Live images from the border crossing showed trucks moving across the border shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday morning Norwegian time. A source in the Egyptian Red Crescent confirmed to AFP that the border has been opened and that trucks had driven in from the Palestinian side to collect the emergency aid. Around 10.20 Norwegian time, the same news agency reported that the first truck with emergency aid had driven into Gaza. Earlier this week, Egypt agreed to open the border crossing to the Gaza Strip for around 20 trucks of humanitarian aid. According to CNN’s journalist on the spot, the border crossing was closed again on Saturday after 20 trucks had crossed the border into Gaza. Hamas said in a statement that the emergency aid expected to enter Gaza on Saturday included 20 trucks of medicine, medical equipment and a limited selection of canned food. They add that the expected delivery of emergency aid “will not change the catastrophic medical situation in Gaza”. UN emergency aid chief Martin Griffiths says Saturday’s shipment of emergency aid “must not be the last”. – I feel confident that this delivery will be the beginning of a sustainable effort to provide the people in Gaza with essential supplies, he says. Trucks with emergency aid on the Palestinian side of the border. Photo: Reuters First emergency aid in two weeks The Rafah border crossing is the only one out of the Gaza Strip that is not controlled by Israel. It has been closed to both emergency aid and evacuations following Hamas’ attack on 7 October. Since then, neither food, water, medicine nor fuel has been allowed to enter the 2.3 million people who live there. Long convoys of trucks carrying emergency aid have been stuck on the Egyptian side of Rafah. In the negotiations surrounding the opening of the border, Israel has, among other things, demanded that none of the emergency aid be sent to Palestinians in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, where Gaza City is located, among other things. Just after 10 o’clock Norwegian time, the cameras that followed the opening of the border caught an explosion on the Gaza side. Israeli authorities have asked all citizens to head south ahead of what appears to be a large-scale Israeli ground invasion. In recent days, intense negotiations have taken place to get the border crossing opened so that emergency aid can be brought in to the severely tested civilian population in the Palestinian area. It is currently uncertain whether foreign citizens can leave Gaza as a result of Saturday’s opening of the border. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide says on Saturday that the organization of the withdrawal of foreign citizens has not been clarified yet. Photo: NTB – Working hard to get Norwegian citizens out On Friday, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to get around 200 Norwegian citizens out of Gaza. At least half of them are children, according to the foreign minister. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed news on Saturday morning that they continue to follow the situation closely, and inform Norwegian citizens directly as soon as they know whether the border will be opened for emigration. In an interview in Helgemorgen on news on Saturday morning, the foreign minister says that the Norwegian authorities have received confirmation that the border will be opened for humanitarian aid, but that the organization of the removal of foreign citizens has not yet been clarified. – We are working at full speed with good help from the Egyptian authorities. We have an emergency team ready that can receive Norwegian citizens if they cross the border. They will be escorted down through Sinai. It is a coordinated effort that requires Israel to tolerate it and Egypt to be ready to assist. The same applies to those who rule in Gaza so that we can get those citizens out, says the foreign minister on video from Egypt. A summit meeting is taking place this weekend in Cairo with leaders from both the Middle East and Western countries about the war on the Gaza Strip. The Minister for Foreign Affairs is one of the participants.
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The border between Egypt and Gaza opened for emergency aid – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
