UN chief visits Rafah crossing as aid convoy waits to enter Gaza

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (2nd R) speaks while visiting the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, on Oct. 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

RAFAH, Egypt, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, ahead of the anticipated opening of the crossing to bring needed aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave.

At the Rafah crossing, the only crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, Guterres said the large convoy loaded with food and medicine was "the difference between life and death for the (Palestinian) people."

"We absolutely need to have these trucks moving as quickly as possible and as many as necessary," the UN chief said, adding there needed to be trucks entering "every day into Gaza to provide enough support for the Gazan people."

Before the press conference, the UN chief inspected the aid convoy waiting to enter Gaza at the Rafah crossing for days.

Some 175 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, medical supplies, food, and blankets were lined up near the crossing, waiting for entry into Gaza but blocked by Israeli bombardments.

Earlier in the day, Jens Laerke, spokesperson of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said relevant parties are nearing an agreement on the modalities of the aid operation and that the first delivery is due to start in the next day or so, according to a UN press release.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden have recently held a phone talk and agreed on the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing "in a sustainable manner."

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Oct. 7 showered Israel with thousands of rockets in a rare surprise attack, to which Israel responded with massive airstrikes on Gaza and punitive measures, including a siege on the enclave with supplies of water, electricity, fuel, and other necessities being cut off.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, as it entered the 14th day, has killed more than 5,000 people on both sides and left many others in an acute humanitarian crisis. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks while visiting the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, on Oct. 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) speaks while visiting the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, on Oct. 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) speaks while visiting the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, on Oct. 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)