DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ EU to Bolster Egypt Ties With Billions in Funding
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The agreement is designed to enhance cooperation in areas including renewable energy, trade, and security while delivering grants, loans and other funding over the next three years to support Egypt's faltering economy. War in Israel and Gaza View All 222 ImagesInflation has been running close to record highs and many Egyptians say they struggle to get by. Of that, funding from the European Union is expected to total $5-6 billion, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait told Asharq Business. Egyptian officials say Egypt deserves recognition for hosting an estimated nine million foreign residents and largely shutting off irregular migration from its north coast since 2016. CROSSINGS VIA LIBYABut there has been a surge in Egyptians trying to cross to Europe via Libya, and the European Union is already providing funding aimed at reducing those flows.

Persons: Ursula von der, Mohamed Maait, Abdel Fattah al, Egypt's, Patrick Werr, Philip Blenkinsop, Renee Maltezou, Aidan Lewis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: IMF, Diplomats, Cypriot, European, Asharq Business, Rights Watch Locations: CAIRO, Egypt, Cairo, Israel, Gaza, Sudan, Qatar, United States, European Union, LIBYA, Europe, Libya, Crete, Gavdos, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tunisia, Mauritania, U.S

[1/4] Jordan's King Abdullah II hosts an international conference attended by the main U.N. bodies and regional and international relief agencies to coordinate humanitarian aid to war-devastated Gaza, in Amman, Jordan November 30, 2023. With Israel refusing to allow any aid in through its borders, supplies have been flown and driven into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula for delivery to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. Israel has bombarded Gaza in response to an Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel by Hamas militants who killed some 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage. Israel had previously called for increasing the amount of aid taken into Gaza from Egypt, including shipments provided by Jordan, said the official, who requested anonymity. Bottlenecks and capacity limitations at the Rafah crossing mean it cannot handle more than 200 trucks a day.

Persons: King Abdullah II, King Abdullah, U.N, Israel, Gazans, confidentially, Christos Christou, Jordan, Martin Griffiths, Juliette Touma, Suleiman Al, Sarah El Safty, William Maclean, Grant McCool Organizations: Royal Hashemite, Reuters Acquire, Red Crescent, Reuters, Trucks, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Amman, Jordan, Israel, AMMAN, RAFAH, Egypt, U.N, Rafah, Al Arish, Sinai, Nitzana, Awja, Gaza's, United, Khalidi

☆ Gaza border authority: Rafah land crossing to reopen Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A satellite image shows a closer view of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, November 7, 2023. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS /file photo Acquire Licensing RightsRAFAH, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Gaza's border authority announced on Saturday that the Rafah land crossing into Egypt would reopen on Sunday for foreign passport holders and dependents. The crossing between Gaza and Egypt's Sinai peninsula is the only entry into the strip not controlled by Israel, and has been crucial for aid trucks and evacuees, who number in the thousands. Evacuations from the Gaza Strip into Egypt, including for Palestinians needing urgent medical treatment, were suspended on Friday, Egyptian and Palestinian sources said, due to problems transporting medical evacuees from northern Gaza. The border would begin operating at 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) for foreigners and medical evacuees, Egyptian sources said.

Persons: Nidal Al Mughrabi, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Adam Makary, Kevin Liffey, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Hamas, Maxar Technologies, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Palestinian, RAFAH

The Gaza war on the border with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula comes after the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic exposed long-standing frailties in the Egyptian economy. "Foreign sentiment on Egypt is so weak, and now with this coming along it's last thing that Egypt needed. A foreign currency shortage has led to a $5 billion backlog of imports stuck at ports, and problems for foreign companies repatriating dividends, bankers say. So far, the Gaza war has affected the popular Sinai destinations of Taba, Nuweiba, Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh but left the rest of the country relatively unscathed. Egypt's tourism minister told Reuters this week that the impact of the war was contained to under 10% of bookings.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Monica Malik, Moataz, Sharm, Karim ElMinabawy, Siamak Adibi, Egypt's, Olumide Ajayi, Malik, Patrick Werr, Sarah El Safty, Aidan Lewis, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Abu, Tourism, Countrywide, Emeco, Middle East Gas, FGE, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Giza, Cairo, Egypt, CAIRO, Gaza, Ukraine, Dhabi, Taba, Dahab, Luxor, Aswan, Israel, Europe, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Gulf . Saudi

A spokesman for the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said Israeli forces had struck the camp overnight, killing at least 47 people. In a separate attack, 21 Palestinians from one family, including women and children, were killed in strikes overnight, the health ministry said. 'NO WORDS'"We demand that you stop them from committing these crimes immediately," Abbas told Blinken, urging an "immediate ceasefire" from Israel. The Palestinian health ministry said three Palestinians were killed in the incident, which it described as clashes with Israeli forces. Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Hebron, the ministry said.

Persons: Gazans, Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken, Jonathan, Saeed al, Abbas, Blinken, WAFA, Israel, Pope Francis, Matthew Miller, Mohammed Salem, Benjamin Netanyahu, Crescent, Gaza's Tal Al, David Satterfield, Cindy McCain, Mc Cain, Abu Dis, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Simon Lewis, Dan Williams, Yusri Mohamed, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Clauda Tanos, Michael Perry, Ingrid Melander, William Mallard, Alexander Smith, Conor Humphries Organizations: U.S, West Bank, Israel, U.S . State Department, Gaza, Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Hamas, REUTERS, Palestinian, Food, Thomson Locations: GAZA, RAMALLAH, Egypt, Ramallah, Israel, Rafah, Gaza, U.S, Qatar, Saudi, Jordan, Amman, United States, Palestinian, Al, Quds, Gaza's, Gaza City, Jerusalem, Hebron, Ismailia, Cairo

Egypt's military spokesman Colonel Gharib Abdel-Hafez said two drones were fired from the southern Red Sea aiming north. Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that combat helicopters had been scrambled when "an aerial threat was spotted in the Red Sea region". EGYPT EXPOSED"The air force and air defence force are intensifying efforts to secure Egyptian airspace on all strategic directions," the Egyptian military said. The U.S. said last week a Navy warship in the Red Sea intercepted projectiles launched by the Houthi, potentially toward Israel. Bordering both Gaza and Israel, Egypt is exposed to the conflict that blew up after Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel and the subsequent bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Ahmed Ona, Yemen's, Israel, Houthi, Gharib Abdel, Hafez, Daniel Hagari, Emily Rose, Dan Williams, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Nafisa Eltahir, Ahmed Tolba, Hatem Maher, Mai Shams El, Yusri Mohamed, Nayera Abdallah, Nadine Awadalla, Ahmed Elimam, Rami Ayyub, Nafisa, Michael Perry, Andrew Cawthorne, Jonathan Oatis, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, Navy, Red, Thomson Locations: Red, Nuweiba, Egypt, Israel, Gaza, CAIRO, JERUSALEM, Yemen's Iran, Iran, Yemen, Taba, EGYPT, United States, Cairo, Eilat, Jerusalem, Ismailia, Dubai

☆ Missile strikes Egyptian Red Sea town on Israel border
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The missile hit a medical facility in Taba, injuring at least six people, Al Qahera TV reported. Taba straddles Egypt's border with Israel's Red Sea port of Eilat. Hamas said on Wednesday it had targeted Eilat with a missile, which the Israeli military said hit an outlying area. Al Qahera reported the missile strike on Friday hit a Taba ambulance facility and a residential building for the administration of the Taba Hospital. It is about a three-hour drive from Egypt's Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Persons: Egypt's Al, Al Qahera, Taba, Israel, Yemen's, Emily Rose, Nafisa Eltahir, Ahmed Tolba, Hatem Maher, Yusri Mohamed, Rami Ayyub, Cynthia Osterman, Michael Perry Organizations: Egypt's Al Qahera News, Reuters, Hamas, Taba, Navy, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Taba, Egypt's, Eilat, Egypt, Egypt's Sinai, Red, Sharm el, The U.S, Iran, Jerusalem, Cairo, Ismailia

☆ Egypt's Sisi says Cairo playing positive role in de-escalating Gaza crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Egypt has taken an active role in negotiating access to aid for people in Gaza through the Rafah crossing, which it shares with Gaza, as well as in negotiations for hostage releases, while advocating for a ceasefire in the conflict. "You have this capability to defend yourself ... never let anger or fervour cause you to overstep," he said. Speaking with Macron, Sisi said both leaders had agreed that any move to displace Gazans into Egypt's Sinai peninsula - a move he had previously warned that Egypt would not bear - would be "extremely dangerous." The two men agreed to work to contain the crisis and prevent other actors from entering the fray, Sisi said. Reporting by Nafisa Eltahir and Nayera Abdallah; Additional reporting by Clauda Tanios; Writing by Ahmed Elimam and Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Toby Chopra, Deborah Kyvrikosaios and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Emmanuel Macron, Nafisa Eltahir, Nayera Abdallah, Clauda Tanios, Ahmed Elimam, Toby Chopra, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Thomson Locations: Suez, Cairo, Gaza, Egypt, Egyptian, CAIRO, Israel, Rafah, Egypt's

☆ Why Jordan and Egypt are saying 'no' to accepting Palestinian refugees from Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Jordan and Egypt have said they won't take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza. AdvertisementAdvertisement"There will be no refugees in Jordan and no refugees in Egypt," said Jordanian King Abdullah II this week, declaring it a "red line" that would not be crossed. It is also the country that hosts the largest number of Palestinian refugees, according to Amnesty International. Not being seen as complicit in Palestinian displacement"Palestinians themselves, of course, are very wary about fleeing to Egypt, because 70% of the population of Gaza are refugees," said Doyle. Many of the Palestinians who live in Jordan, Egypt, and elsewhere in the region first arrived there after being displaced in 1948, or following the Six-Day War in 1967.

Persons: Jordan, —, Israel's retaliations, King Abdullah II, Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, Hasan Al Momani, Al Momani, Chris Doyle, Doyle, there's, Lex Takkenberg, Mustafa Bakri, Abdel Fattah el, Sisi, Takkenberg Organizations: East, Service, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, Egypt's, Foreign Affairs, University of Jordan, West Bank, United Nations, Refugees, Amnesty, Council, Arab, UN, Democracy and, Saudi, Al, Al Arabiya TV, of America News, ISIS Locations: Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Gaza City, Rafah, British, United States, Sinai, Al Arabiya, Sisi, Cairo

☆ Trucks to enter Gaza carrying medical supplies and food - Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Trucks carrying aid arrive at the Palestinian side of the border with Egypt, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, October 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Oct 21 (Reuters) - A convoy including 20 aid trucks was due to enter the Gaza Strip on Saturday from Egypt carrying medicine and food supplies, a statement from Palestinian group Hamas said. "The relief aid convoy that is supposed to enter [Gaza] today includes 20 trucks that carry medicine, medical supplies, and a limited amount of food supplies (canned goods)," Hamas's media office said. Egyptian state TV showed trucks that have been waiting for days entering the border crossing area from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Reporting by Nidal Mughrabi, Writing by Adam Makary and Aidan LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Nidal Mughrabi, Adam Makary, Aidan Lewis Organizations: Trucks, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Egypt, Israel, Palestinian, Rafah, Gaza, Rights CAIRO, Sinai

☆ China seeking quick end to Israel-Hamas conflict - Xi
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Chinese President Xi Jinping makes a speech during a reception dinner at the Great Hall of the People ahead of China's National Day in Beijing, China on September 28, 2023. Xi also said a ceasefire was "imperative" as soon as possible to prevent the conflict from expanding, or spiralling out of control, the state media said. China supports Egypt's efforts to let in humanitarian aid to Gaza, state media quoted Xi as telling Madbouly. Separately, Xi also said China was willing to work with Egypt to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, agricultural technology, and renewable energy, adding that he will also encourage capable Chinese enterprises to invest there. Reporting by Liz Lee and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Jade Gao, Xi Jingping, Xi, Mostafa Madbouly, Liz Lee, Kim Coghill, Miral Organizations: of, Rights, Hamas, United, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Egypt's

☆ Egypt repairing roads at Gaza crossing ahead of aid delivery
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid from Egyptian NGOs for Palestinians, wait for the reopening of the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian side, to enter Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt October 17, 2023. More aid is being held in the Egyptian city of Al Arish, about 45 km (28 miles) from Rafah. Western governments have been negotiating for the evacuation of foreign passport holders from Gaza, something Egyptian officials have conditioned on aid getting in. It said it would continue a blockade of humanitarian aid from Israel into Gaza until hostages held by Hamas were returned. Israel and Egypt have upheld a blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007, tightly controlling the movement goods and people.

Persons: Stringer, Abdel Fattah al, King Abdullah of Jordan, Al Jazeera, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Yusri Mohamed, Mohamed Ahmed Hassan, Aidan Lewis, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Machinery, White, United Nations, Al, U.S, Israeli, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Egypt, Rights CAIRO, Sinai, United States, Egyptian, Al Arish

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 26, 2023. "Egypt rejects any attempt to resolve the Palestinian issue by military means or through the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land, which would come at the expense of the countries of the region," he said. Sisi said the Egyptian people would "go out and protest in their millions ... if called upon to do so" against any displacement of Gaza's residents to Sinai. Egypt is wary of insecurity near its border with Gaza in northeastern Sinai, where an Islamist insurgency intensified a decade ago. Any transfer of Palestinians to Sinai would mean "that we move the idea of resistance, of combat, from the Gaza Strip to Sinai, and so Sinai would become the base for launching operations against Israel", Sisi said.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Danichev, Olaf Scholz, Osama Hamdan, Jordan, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Israel, John Kirby, Biden, Nayera Abdallah, Nadine Awadalla, Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Sherif Fahmy, Mohamed Abdel, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Aidan Lewis, Gareth Jones, Philippa Fletcher, Alistair Bell, Grant McCool Organizations: Sputnik, Rights, West Bank, U.S, Israeli, United, Volunteers, Cairo University, State, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Rights CAIRO, Sinai, Gaza, Cairo, Israel, Egypt, Beirut, Rafah, United States, Dubai, Ghany

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 26, 2023. The border between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip is the site of the only crossing from the Palestinian territory that is not controlled by Israel. Sisi said the Egyptian people would "go out and protest in their millions... if called upon to do so" against any displacement of Gaza's residents to Sinai. Egypt is wary of insecurity near its border with Gaza in northeastern Sinai, where it faced an Islamist insurgency that escalated a decade ago. Any transfer of Palestinians to Sinai would mean "that we move the idea of resistance, of combat, from the Gaza Strip to Sinai, and so Sinai would become the base for launching operations against Israel", Sisi said.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Danichev, Olaf Scholz, Osama Hamdan, Jordan, John Kirby, Joe Biden, Biden, Israel, Nayera Abdallah, Nadine Awadalla, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Aidan Lewis, Gareth Jones, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Sputnik, Rights, West Bank, United, Volunteers, Islamic Jihad, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Rights CAIRO, Sinai, Gaza, Cairo, Israel, Egypt, Beirut, Rafah, United States

☆ Biden Israel, Jordan visit: Who will he meet? What are his goals?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Biden will then fly to Amman for talks about accelerating humanitarian assistance to Gaza. HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS IN GAZABiden's second trip to a war zone this year - he visited Ukraine in February - carries some risk. ISRAEL RED LINESBiden and Netanyahu, thrown into a wartime partnership despite deep political differences on the way forward in the Middle East, have joined forces. Biden has given Israel full-throated support while stressing the need to head off a massive humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The U.S. and Israel agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza, Blinken said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jordan, NETANYAHU, ABDULLAH, ABBAS Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Jordan's King Abdullah, Abdel Fattah al, Mahmoud Abbas, Netanyahu, Kevin Lamarque, John Kirby, Israel, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Israeli, Israel, West Bank, GAZA, United, General Assembly, REUTERS, White House, Biden, The State Department, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Amman, In Amman, Ukraine, Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, United States, Egypt's, Rafah, New York City, U.S, ISRAEL

☆ Trucks carrying aid for Gaza Strip arrive at Rafah crossing - witness
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Monday, local media and Egyptian security sources said that Israel had struck the vicinity of the crossing in Gaza. Two of the sources said the aid deliveries were now waiting for the Gaza side of the border to open and for assurances of safe passage before entering the crossing. This concern, along with fears that aid would be used as cover for weapons, had hindered a planned delivery on Monday, two Egyptian security sources said. An understanding was reached that the aid would be delivered to specific secure locations in Gaza under monitoring, the Egyptian security sources said, in exchange for limited evacuations of foreign passport holders. Another security source said Egypt had repaired the roads within the crossing that had been damaged by Israeli strikes.

Persons: Israel, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Mohamed Hendawy, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Yusri Mohamed, Humeyra Pamuk, Enas Alashray, Gareth Jones Organizations: Hamas, Gaza, Thomson Locations: Al, Arish, Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Sinai, Egypt, CAIRO, Palestinian, al, Egypt's Sinai, Cairo, Ismailia, Tel Aviv

☆ What is the Rafah border crossing and why is it closed?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A Palestinian with dual citizenship waits outside the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the hope of getting permission to leave Gaza, amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip October 17, 2023. WHERE IS THE RAFAH CROSSING AND WHO CONTROLS IT? Reuters GraphicsWHY IS THE RAFAH CROSSING SO IMPORTANT IN THIS CONFLICT? That means the only likely route for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza is via Rafah from Egypt's Sinai region. Line chart with data from UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed the share of commodity and food imports to Gaza passing through the Rafah border with Egypt.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Antony Blinken, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, King Abdullah, Aidan Lewis, Edmund Blair, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Gaza, Palestinian, Hamas, United Nations, West Bank, Israel, UN Office, of Humanitarian Affairs, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Gaza City, Egypt's Sinai, Sinai, Hamas, Palestinian, Gaza . U.S, United States, Jordan, British, Palestine

☆ Egyptian sources say ceasefire agreed to allow Rafah re-opening, Netanyahu denies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"There is currently no truce and humanitarian aid in Gaza in exchange for getting foreigners out," a statement from his office said. Rafah, which is on the border between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Hamas-governed Gaza, is the only crossing into the territory not controlled by Israel. The Egyptian sources said the ceasefire would last for several hours but they were not clear on the exact duration. They also said the three countries had agreed that Rafah would be open until 1400 GMT on Monday as a one-day initial re-opening. A security source and NGO source in Al-Arish said that aid trucks were still waiting there after the re-opening at 0600 GMT.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Arish, Blinken, Salama Marouf, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Dan Williams, Yusri Mohamed, Aidan Lewis, Nadine Awadallah, Tala Ramadan, Nafisa, Jacqueline Wong, Toby Chopra Organizations: Hamas, U.S, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Al, Arish, Sinai, Egypt, CAIRO, Hamas, al, Cairo, U.S, Jerusalem, Ismailia

☆ Egypt pushes to break impasse over Gaza aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aid from several countries has been building up in Egypt's Sinai peninsula due to a failure to reach a deal enabling its safe delivery to Gaza along with evacuations of some foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing into Egypt. Israeli bombardments on the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing into Egypt, the main crossing out of Gaza not controlled by Israel, have disrupted operations there. There is alarm in Egypt over the prospect that residents in Gaza could be displaced by Israel's siege and bombardment. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told CNN on Saturday that the Rafah crossing was open but the roads leading to it in Gaza were "inoperable" due to Israeli bombardment. He said that if foreign nationals were able to cross the border Egypt would facilitate their departure to their home countries.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Sameh Shoukry, Mohamed Waly, Omar Abdel Razek, Yusri Mohamed, Humeyra Pamuk, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Adam Makary, Nafisa Eltahir, Aidan Lewis, Louise Heavens, Hugh Lawson, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Hamas, U.S, CNN, United, United Arab, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, ., CAIRO, Egypt, Egypt's, United States, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Tunisia, Sinai's Al Arish

NBC News, citing a Palestinian official, reported the Rafah border crossing would open at 9 a.m. on Monday. Washington is also focused on avoiding a spillover of the conflict, especially with clashes with Lebanon escalating on Israel's border. [1/5]Smoke rises in the air following Israeli bombings in Gaza, as seen from Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 15, 2023. Israel's military, which has massed tanks on Gaza's border in preparation for a ground offensive, says it is targeting Hamas and its infrastructure in response. Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi told soldiers near the Gaza border they would be entering Gaza to root out Hamas, targeting "every place, every commander, every operator."

Persons: Antony Blinken, Abdel Fattah al, Blinken, David Satterfield, Gazans, Joe Biden, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amir Cohen, Bejamin Netanyahu, Israel's, General Herzi Halevi, Halevi, Netanyahu, Biden, Philippe Lazzarini, Humeyra Pamuk, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Katharine Jackson, Nidal, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, John Davison, Parisa, Michelle Nichols, Simon Lewis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Gaza, United Nations, Veteran U.S, NBC, Palestinian, ABC News, Reuters, Authorities, REUTERS, United, State Department, Saturday, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, UN, UNRWA, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Gaza CAIRO, WASHINGTON, GAZA, Egypt, Middle East, U.S, Washington, Lebanon, Iran, Tehran, United States, France, Canada, Hamas, Al, Quds, Razek, Cairo, Jerusalem, Dubai

☆ Gaza Border Crossing Set to Reopen as Israeli Troops Prepare Ground Assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

NBC News, citing a Palestinian official, reported the Rafah border crossing would open at 9 a.m. on Monday. U.S. government officials say they are mobilizing to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, anticipating a brutal ground offensive. Washington is also focused on avoiding a spillover of the conflict, especially with clashes with Lebanon escalating on Israel's border. Israel's military, which has massed tanks on Gaza's border in preparation for a ground offensive, says it is targeting Hamas and its infrastructure in response. Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi told soldiers near the Gaza border they would be entering Gaza to root out Hamas, targeting "every place, every commander, every operator."

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, Nandita Bose, Nidal, Antony Blinken, Abdel Fattah al, Blinken, David Satterfield, Gazans, Joe Biden, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Bejamin Netanyahu, Israel's, General Herzi Halevi, Halevi, Netanyahu, Biden, Philippe Lazzarini, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Rami Ayyub, Katharine Jackson, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, John Davison, Parisa, Michelle Nichols, Simon Lewis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Mughrabi, Gaza, United Nations, Veteran U.S, NBC, Palestinian, ABC News, Reuters, Authorities, United, State Department, Saturday, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, UN, UNRWA Locations: Mughrabi CAIRO, WASHINGTON, GAZA, Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Egypt, Middle East, U.S, Washington, Lebanon, Iran, Tehran, United States, France, Canada, Hamas, Al, Quds, Razek, Cairo, Jerusalem, Dubai

☆ More aid flights arrive in Egypt's Sinai, awaiting passage to Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Trucks carrying aid are seen near the Rafah border in Gaza after entering from Egypt, October 10, 2023. Egypt says its side of the Rafah crossing that connects Sinai with the Gaza Strip remains open, though traffic has been halted for several days because of Israeli bombardments on the Palestinian side of the border. A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States had been working with Egypt, Israel and Qatar to open the crossing on Saturday. The crossing is the main exit point for the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million residents that is not controlled by Israel. Israel's military spokesperson said on Saturday that the border remains closed and any crossing to Egypt needed to be coordinated with Israel.

Persons: . Washington, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Yusri Mohamed, Humeyra Pamuk, Aidan Lewis, Sharon Singleton, Mike Harrison Organizations: Human Rights, REUTERS, WHO, U.S . State Department, Hamas, Gaza, Israel, Red Cross, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Sinai, Sinai's Al Arish, CAIRO, United States, Israel, Qatar, ., Palestinian, Turkey

A view of the skyline in the aftermath of Israeli military strikes on Islamic Jihad targets, in Gaza, May 9, 2023. Carboni said in a later interview that its stocks of aid and medicine within Gaza are stranded for want of safe passage. "With the supplies we have inside Gaza, we will not be able to support the civilian population for very long. Most of Gaza's population has no power and water as Israeli strikes continue and they fear a possible ground invasion. ICRC teams are pre-positioning staff and stocks in strategic hubs close to Gaza as part of its preparations, he added.

Persons: Mohammed Salem, Fabrizio Carboni, Carboni, Kan, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Emma Farge, Gebeily, Alex Richardson, Nick Macfie, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Red Cross, International Committee, ICRC, Hamas, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Egypt, GENEVA, Israel, Rafah

☆ Egypt discusses Gaza aid, rejects corridors for civilians, say sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Ahmed Mohamed Hassan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Palestinians inspect damages of a house hit by Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 11, 2023. Egypt has long restricted the flow of Gazans onto its territory, even during the fiercest conflicts. LIMITED CEASEFIREEgypt has been intensifying its efforts to contain the situation in Gaza, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani during a meeting in Cairo, a statement from Sisi's office said. According to the Egyptian security sources, talks between Egypt and the United States, Qatar and Turkey discussed the idea of delivering humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula under a geographically limited ceasefire. The crossing, which is the main exit point from Gaza not controlled by Israel, has been closed since Tuesday after Israeli bombardments hit on the Palestinian side, according to officials in Gaza and Egyptian sources.

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Jake Sullivan, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Antonio Tajani, Tajani, Sameh Shoukry, Omar Abdel Razak, Ahmed Elimam, Aidan Lewis, Alison Williams, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, U.S . National, Italian, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Egypt, CAIRO, United States, Israel, Cairo, Qatar, Turkey, Europe

☆ Egypt pushing Israel and Hamas to prevent escalation -Egyptian sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from the Israeli side of the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Egypt has been in close contact with Israel and Hamas to try to prevent further escalation in fighting between them and ensure the protection of Israelis taken hostage by Palestinian militants, two Egyptian security sources said on Monday. Some 7,000 Israeli tourists have returned from Sinai to Israel since the fighting erupted, the Egyptian security sources said. On Sunday, two Israeli tourists and an Egyptian guide were shot dead at an archaeological site in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria. The Egyptian policeman accused of carrying out the killing has been referred to a military court, one of the security sources said.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Abdelnasser, Aidan Lewis, Hugh Lawson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, Gaza, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rights CAIRO, Egypt, Palestinian, Israeli, Cairo, Sinai, Rafah, Egyptian, Alexandria, Tel Aviv, South, Sharm

Search resuls for: "Egypt's Sinai"

25 mentions found