Egypt, US,'Israel' to discuss reopening Rafah Sunday: Reports
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The Israeli occupation forces claimed Wednesday they had gained "operational control" over the crucial Philadelphi corridor along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
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Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on buildings near the separation between Egypt and Rafah on May 7, 2024. (AP)
According to Egyptian Al-Qahera News, Egypt, the United States, and "Israel" will meet in Cairo on June 2 to discuss the restoration of the Gaza Strip's Rafah border crossing.
The Israeli occupation army launched an invasion of densely populated Rafah earlier this month, which coincided with the shutting down of the only two crossings delivering aid to southern Gaza; the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem crossings.
The broadcaster cited a senior source saying Egypt is demanding that Israeli occupation forces(IOF) withdraw completely from the Rafah border post so that operations may resume.
The Israeli occupation forces claimed Wednesday they had gained "operational control" over the crucial Philadelphi corridor along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
"We have established operational control" over the 14-kilometer (8.5-mile) corridor, a military official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
This development follows closely on the heels of Israeli forces taking control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on May 7, marking the beginning of their ground assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
According to Netanyahu and top Israeli military officials, taking control of Rafah is essential to secure "absolute victory" in the genocidal war no nearing its eighth-month mark.
Hanegbi said that the long period of the war seeks to "fortify our achievement and what we define as the destruction of the governmental and military capabilities of Hamas and [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad."
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Monday a stern warning cautioning that the ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza pose a threat to regional security and stability. The ministry also condemned the Israeli occupation's escalating violence in the West Bank.
Egyptian authorities and sources have stated that aggression continues to jeopardize humanitarian efforts, and "Israel" must return the crossing to Palestinians.
A backlog of aid has accumulated on the road between the Egyptian side of the border and the town of al-Arish, which is roughly 45 kilometers (28 miles) west of Rafah and serves as an entry point for foreign humanitarian deliveries.
Nowhere is safe
Rafah witnessed in the past 11 days the most violent Israeli bombardment since the war began.
The occupation committed a number of massacres against families residing in the small city, most notably the killing of over 40 Palestinians in a bombing of a tent city in al-Mawasi sheltering thousands of forcibly displaced Palestinians. The occupation army has forced Palestinians fleeing Rafah to move to al-Mawasi, claiming it was a "safe zone". Most of the massacre's martyrs were women and children.
Footage of the massacre showing slaughtered children and incinerated bodies sparked global outrage, leading to wide condemnation of the Israeli crime, including from the entity's closest allies.
The invasion expanded, reaching Rafah City, with tanks entering crowded residential neighborhoods and streets coupled with intense airstrikes and shelling.
