Rhino: Agencies – European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday inspected the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, where he called for more aid to be allowed into the Strip.
Borrell told reporters in front of the crossing that the EU has made great efforts in terms of funding and supplies, but there are some 1,400 trucks stuck at the border.
He added that the current crisis in the Gaza Strip is not natural or caused by an earthquake, but man-made and can only be resolved by reaching a political agreement.
Earlier on Monday, Borrell met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, where they discussed the political and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and ways to stop the ceasefire there, as well as bilateral relations between Egypt and the European bloc.
“Most of the meeting focused on the situation in Gaza and the Middle East, where they reviewed the intensive efforts made by Egypt and partners to reach a ceasefire and exchange hostages and detainees, so as to end the humanitarian catastrophe facing the people of Gaza, as well as pave the way for the realization of the two-state solution,” the presidency spokesperson said in a statement.
Later in the week, Borrell heads to Lebanon, where fears of a widening conflict between Israel and surrounding countries are growing as the one-year anniversary of the start of the Gaza war approaches.