Gaza aid choked off after Israeli forces seize crossing
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STORY: Aid trucks were seen lined up on the road in Egypt’s Rafah on Tuesday after Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the main border crossing. The United Nations and other international aid agencies said the closing of the two crossings into southern Gaza – Rafah and Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom – had virtually cut off the already-devastated enclave from outside aid. The seizure of the Rafah crossing, where more than 1 million displaced Palestinian civilians are holed up, came despite weeks of calls from the U.S. and others for Israel to hold off from a big offensive in Rafah. Fedaa Shallah, a displaced Palestinian woman from Gaza City said, “I don’t see that there is any place that is safe. There is bombing, shelling and we’ve had enough.” Doctor Mohammad Abu Skhil works in the emergency department of the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah. "The closure of the Rafah Crossing will contribute further to the demise of the health situation in Gaza Strip, specifically in the city of Rafah because it is through the Rafah crossing that essential medical supplies needed for the healthcare in Gaza come in.” The crossing was also the only exit point for those needing to leave Gaza for medical treatment unavailable inside the enclave. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres appealed to Israel and Hamas on Tuesday to spare no effort in arriving at a truce deal. “Make no mistake – a full-scale assault on Rafah would be a human catastrophe. Countless more civilian casualties. Countless more families forced to flee yet again – with nowhere safe to go.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said seizing the crossing was a significant step towards its aim of destroying Hamas' military capabilities. Hamas accused Israel of trying to undermine efforts to secure a ceasefire in the seven-month-long war... which started when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and abducting about 250 others, according to Israeli tallies. Around 35,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israeli strikes since, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Any truce would be the first pause in fighting since a week-long ceasefire in November.
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