(New York Times) Declan Walsh - Egypt, as ever in times of war, is keeping its border crossing with Gaza firmly shut. The Egyptians are adamantly opposed to allowing Gazans to cross the border. Allowing large numbers of Gazans to cross over, even as refugees, would "revive the idea that Sinai is the alternative country for the Palestinians," said Mustapha Kamel al-Sayyid, a political scientist at Cairo University. Egyptians have long feared to make the Gaza conflict Egypt's problem, too. A related scenario that worries Egypt is that it could end up as the de facto administrator of Gaza. The Egyptians say they will facilitate a humanitarian corridor into Gaza, but Israel said that no humanitarian aid would be allowed to enter until Hamas releases the 150 people, including children and older people, that it captured.
2023-10-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive