On the far side of the Sinai Peninsula, about a six-hour drive from Cairo through a largely empty Egyptian desert, the Rafah crossing is a dun-colored expanse of sand, concrete and not much else.
Yet over the last three weeks of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, Rafah has become the focus of heated negotiations, a place where many people, both powerful and powerless, have pinned their waning hopes.
Egypt highlighted that role on Tuesday, when the government took reporters on a tightly controlled trip to Rafah.
Aid trucks and army tanks lined the dusty road leading to the crossing.
On Tuesday, 83 trucks arrived in Gaza, said Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing.
Persons:
we’ve, Mostafa Madbouly, Wael Abu Omar, David M, ”, Israel, ’, Madbouly, Mustafa Mouftah, Mr, Satterfield, Biden, Hiba, Iyad Abuheweila
Organizations:
Gaza’s General Authority, ”, European Union, U.S, United
Locations:
Cairo, Rafah, Egypt, Gaza, Israel, North, United States, Egyptian, El Arish