Israel says it will allow food, water, medicine from Egypt for southern Gaza civilians

Published October 19, 2023 12:34am

Trucks of Egyptian NGOs, carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians, wait for an agreement on the Rafah border crossing to enter Gaza in the city of Al-Arish in Egypt's Sinai peninsula on October 15, 2023. REUTERS/ Stringer

JERUSALEM — Israel will not allow humanitarian supplies into Gaza from the Israeli side of the border but will not block aid coming from Egypt, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Wednesday.

"In light of [US] President [Joe] Biden's demand, Israel will not thwart humanitarian supplies from Egypt as long as it is only food, water and medicine for the civilian population in the southern Gaza Strip," it said in a statement.

"Israel will not allow any humanitarian aid from its territory to the Gaza Strip as long as our hostages are not returned," it added. — Reuters

Tags: Israel, Gaza Strip, palestinians, gaza, egypt