Egypt refuses to coordinate with Israel on Gaza aid over ‘unacceptable escalation’: Reports

The Israeli army said around 300,000 people have left eastern Rafah for a humanitarian area, as of Saturday (May 11) while its latest order indicates that the military may launch a ground attack in the area. Meanwhile, Hebrew and Egyptian state media reports said that Egypt has halted deliveries of aid to Gaza and refuses to coordinate with Israel on the entry for assistance.

Egypt halts aid, refuses to coordinate with Israel: Reports

On Saturday, Egypt’s state-affiliated Alqahera News satellite TV citing a senior official said, Cairo has refused to coordinate with Israel on the entry of aid into Gaza from the Rafah crossing due to Israel’s “unacceptable escalation”.

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Cairo held Israel responsible for the deterioration of the situation in the Gaza Strip, the official said according to the media report. This comes after the Israeli forces, on Monday (May 7) seized the main border crossing at Rafah, a key route for aid to enter from Egypt.

Egypt has halted deliveries of aid to Gaza in protest of the Israeli army’s takeover of the Rafah crossing, reported Times of Israel citing Hebrew media reports. Similarly, a report by Reuters citing Red Crescent sources in Egypt said shipments had completely halted.

A report by the Times of Israel citing anonymous American officials said Israel did not coordinate with Egypt ahead of the operation on Rafah, adding that they are urging Egyptian officials to resume aid deliveries through Kerem Shalom.

Meanwhile,United Nations agency OCHA says it’s struggling to provide Palestinians with aid because of Israeli restrictions.

Around 300,000 Gazans have evacuated east Rafah: Israeli military

The Israeli military, in a statement, on Saturday about 300,000 people had left eastern Rafah for a humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi since they first issued the evacuation order on Monday (May 7).

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It added that the calls for “temporary evacuation” were being communicated to people through leaflets, mobile text messages, phone calls and broadcasts in Arabic.

Israel expands evacuation order

In a post on X, an Israeli military spokesperson asked residents and displaced people in the Jabalia, an area in northern Gaza, and 11 other neighbourhoods in the enclave to go immediately to places west of Gaza City.

The announcement suggests that the military is pressing ahead with its plans for a ground attack on Rafah, which many countries across the world have warned Israel not to do.

Overnight strikes across the enclave, including in Rafah, killed at least 37 people, out of which 24 were from central Gaza areas, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

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In Rafah, residents told Reuters the new evacuation orders by the Israeli military cover areas in the centre of the city and leave little doubt that Israel has planned to expand its ground offensive there.

Death toll nears 35,000-mark

The Hamas-run health ministry, on Saturday, said that at least 34,971 people have been killed in Gaza amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

It added that around 78,641 people have been wounded in Gaza since the war broke out after the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel on October 7.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.