Weapons and fuel: understand the impasses that prevent the opening of the Rafah crossing

This Friday (20), 13 days after the surprise attack by the radical Islamic group Hamas on Israel, followed by Israeli air counterattacks, hundreds of trucks remained lined up waiting for the opening of the Rafah crossing, to transport humanitarian aid to Gaza .

Considered the “last hope” of the region’s inhabitants to escape the war, the place is the source of an impasse that is difficult to resolve.

The reasons for the impasse

On Wednesday (18), the President of the United States, Joe Biden, said that the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, agreed to open the crossing. Despite the expectation that this would occur until this Friday (20)the scenario has not changed.

Now, according to Biden, the expectation is that aid will reach the region in the next 24 to 48 hours.

In the trucks that line up in front of the site, there is still fear that, in addition to the supplies needed for civilians, weapons could be taken to Gaza — providing the extremist organization.

Israel also considers that, given the proximity of new ground fighting, humanitarian deliveries will not be able to be completed.

This Friday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, called for the opening of the border and stated that the entry of trucks is “the difference between life and death for many people” in the region.

As explained by the international analyst at CNN Lourival Sant’Anna, the UN must be responsible for monitoring vehicles that cross Rafah, so that no other material crosses the border.

He recalls that the circulation of humanitarian aid is a historical difficulty in military conflicts, and is not exclusive to Israel’s war.

See also: Egyptian minister tells CNN that Rafah has already been bombed four times

Egyptian minister to CNN: Rafah has already been bombed four times | CNN ARENA

Published by Leonardo Rodrigues.