The China Mail - Egypt, France foreign ministers urge aid to Gaza through Rafah

"Those who want to leave Gaza must be able to do so," France's Catherine Colonna said, urging the opening of crossing points.

Egypt controls the Rafah border crossing, the only passage in and out of the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel.

A US official had told AFP Saturday that Egypt and Israel had reached an agreement for American citizens to leave through Rafah.

But Cairo's top diplomat Sameh Shoukry told reporters Monday that Egypt had "repeated its request to Israeli authorities for humanitarian aid to pass through".

Shoukry said there was "nothing new, which is a dangerous matter considering the new needs that the Palestinian people in Gaza are being exposed to".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement Monday that "there is currently no ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza in return for removing foreigners".

By Monday afternoon, the crossing remained closed, locking convoys of aid on one side of the border, and fleeing Palestinians and foreigners on the other, according to AFP correspondents and witnesses.

AFP correspondents also reported that the area of the crossing was hit by another military strike on Monday.

The UN has repeatedly warned of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel has declared a "complete siege", cutting off basic supplies to the territory's 2.4 million people.

Since October 7, some 2,750 people in Gaza have been killed by Israeli air strikes, launched in retaliation for a Hamas militant attack that killed 1,400 in Israel.

According to the United Nations, a million people have been displaced inside Gaza, where Colonna said "civilians must be protected and their essential needs met".

She announced that France "is going to mobilise 10 million euros ($10.5 million) for the people of Gaza".

As diplomatic overtures yield little success, she said Paris "welcomes Egypt's initiative" for an international summit on the conflict.

She said it would "show that there is a political horizon that can take into account Israel's right to security and the Palestinians' right to a state".

Egypt was the first Arab state to forge a peace deal with Israel in 1979 and has historically played a key role in mediating between Israeli and Palestinian officials, particularly during conflicts with Hamas.

Colonna said the "weight of the conflict must not fall on Egypt", which has faced calls to accept refugees from Gaza.

Cairo has rejected such calls, warning of a fresh forced displacement of Palestinians and instead urging restraint and diplomatic efforts for deescalation.

W.Tam--ThChM