UN: Palestinians Allowed Through Rafah Crossing “A Very Low Number”
As the Rafah Crossing opens today, the United Nations welcomes the development as a “positive step,” while warning that the number of Palestinians allowed to leave through Rafah remains “small.”
United Nations
Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali
Despite “welcoming the opening of the Rafah Crossing,” Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, acknowledges the number of Palestinians allowed to leave the enclave is “a low number by any indication.”
Made official today, the Rafah Crossing linking the Palestinian enclave with Egypt, Gaza’s only border passage that does not lead to Israel, reopened today after roughly 18 months of closure. Hazem Qassem, spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, said the reopening of the Rafah Crossing “is a right earned by our Palestinian people,” in remarks quoted by the Palestinian media.
Reports, however, have made clear that Israel will remain in control of all Palestinians exiting Gaza, with sources suggesting only about 50–150 Palestinians will be allowed to enter and exit the enclave per day, according to sources cited by major news agencies.
With the Gaza Health Ministry suggesting about 20,000 people are in desperate need of medical treatment abroad, the novel figure may serve to create backlash and international condemnation. As of today, Dujarric says, “what we want to see is Palestinians being allowed to leave and enter Gaza as they wish, and for humanitarian and commercial cargo to enter through Rafah….. but it’s the first day, let’s see how things work out.”
