Amid the ongoing crisis in Gaza, UN Security Council envoys have arrived in Egypt to inspect the Rafah border crossing with the besieged enclave.
The day-long visit, organised by the UAE and Egypt, involves about a dozen ambassadors, including those from Russia and the UK.
The US and France did not send any representatives.
Philippe Lazzarini, the Head of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA briefed the envoys.
He said that there is “deep frustration disappointment, and some outrage also that … we can’t even reach a consensus for a ceasefire.”
During the briefing following their arrival, an Egyptian foreign ministry official told the envoys that there is no justification “for turning a blind eye to the pain and suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
UAE’s Ambassador to the UN, Lana Nusseibeh, asserted the countries participating were doing so in their “national and personal capacities” and the trip was aimed to “help understand not only the suffering and destruction experienced by the people of Gaza, but also their hope and their strength”.
Meanwhile, COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civil affairs, says the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) border crossing between Israel and Gaza “is to be opened.”
It said it expanded its “capabilities to conduct inspections for the aid delivery into Gaza” but blamed the UN for not delivering enough aid through the currently open Rafah crossing with Egypt.
“The UN must do better,” COGAT said in a post.
UN agencies and NGOs have repeatedly said that Israel does not allow the necessary resources to go through, including fuel vital for hospital operations.
Last week, UN aid Chief, Martin Griffiths said that negotiations were under way to open the Karem Abu Salem border to “boost” aid to Gaza.
October 7 Attack Not Starting Point Of Israel-Hamas War
Also on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stressed that people should not think of the October 7 attack as the starting point of the war on Gaza.
Addressing the Doha Forum in Qatar via video conference, Amir-Abdollahian emphasised that while Iran was not aware of the attack before it took place, Tehran believes that Hamas is a liberation movement against the Israeli occupation.
“It is clear that this [fighting] has already been expanded to the Lebanese front and the Yemeni front, and of course, these are not our proxy groups”, he said.
In addition, the Iranian minister asserted that “neither Israel nor the U.S, even if they spend another 10 years in Gaza, will be able to obliterate Hamas.”
He also affirmed Iran’s opposition to a two-state solution for the Palestinian problems. He said, “Israel is occupying the Palestinian land and we believe that a two-state solution will not help to resolve the Palestinian issue.”
On the other hand, Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, noted that there cannot be talks about post-war Gaza without first finding a solution to the present crisis and what came before that.
Zomlot said at the Doha Forum, “It’s a big mistake to talk about the day after.” He stated, “We need to talk about today, about the need for a permanent ceasefire as every day costs dearly.”
The diplomat added that there needs to be a discussion on what was the political situation in Gaza before the war, namely a suffocating blockade imposed on the strip, the far-right agenda of Netanyahu’s government and settlers’ violence in the occupied West Bank.
“We need to talk to the US and the UK not to mediate, but to recognise the state of Palestine. That would qualify them to be part of the conversation. The recognition of Palestinians’ right to self-determination is a precondition for any international actor to act.”
Husam Zomlot
