Egypt Gears Up To Reopen Rafah Crossing For Gaza Aid

By Nabilah Saleh

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- Egypt is in high gear to reopen the Rafah crossing to facilitate the delivery of international humanitarian aid into Gaza as reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

High-level sources also indicated Egypt's readiness to bring in the largest possible influx of humanitarian aid to the Strip.

In response to the development, Egypt’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Ragai Nasr, welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, describing it as a significant step towards alleviating the suffering of Palestinians.

He said Egypt stands ready with open arms to facilitate Malaysian humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

“Alhamdulillah, we succeeded in reaching an agreement in favour of our brothers and sisters in Palestine.

“We look forward to continuing the generous Malaysian humanitarian assistance to Gaza through the Rafah crossing after its reopening,” Nasr told Bernama on Thursday.

The truce, set to begin on Sunday, was announced on Wednesday evening by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman. The deal, facilitated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States (US), is aimed at halting a 15-month conflict with an initial duration of 42 days.

The Rafah crossing has remained closed to aid deliveries since May 2024, when the Israeli military took control of its Palestinian side, where Egypt refused to recognise this illegitimate act, halting Egyptian aid shipments to Gaza via this route, according to international media reports.

--BERNAMA