ST. CATHARINES, Ontario, June 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The News Forum is making enquiries asking why UN and Egypt are not building field hospitals in Sinai (across the Rafah border) to help wounded Palestinian civilians - especially children? These could be erected in days - fully equipped.
Across the Rafah border is Egypt’s Sinai, a largely empty patch of desert, which is off limits for any civilian trying to flee the bombardment of Rafah, unless you can pay $5,000 per adult and $2,500 per children, according to NPR. For reference, the average daily wage for someone in Gaza, according to the U.S. State Department, was $13 per day in 2022.
The United States has built ramps in the sea to deliver food, but Palestinian civilians are not allowed to cross the border to Egypt for urgent medical care unless they have more than a year’s wages to cover the cost?
Top officials from Egypt appear to be skirting any responsibility, moral or otherwise, to act as a meaningful partner in ensuring civilian casualties are kept to a minimum, while ensuring no civilian Palestinian is allowed to escape for medical help or food during the military conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Egypt is not responsible for Israel’s war with Hamas, but their position to keep their border sealed, including sending tanks to ensure that Palestinians do not cross the border, is at odds with the new Egyptian position that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Egypt took a remarkable step in joining South Africa’s claim at the International Criminal Court that Israel is engaging in genocide.
It appears to be a striking moral contradiction to keep your border closed to civilians while at the same time making an accusation that a genocide is occurring on the other side of the wall. Egypt could, if there was a genuine belief that Israel is committing genocide, do the humanitarian and moral act of allowing for civilians to temporarily seek refuge in the open desert Sinai.
At the very least, Egypt could allow for field hospitals to be built where patients in Southern Gaza could be transported to, where medical treatment can be given, maintained, and done so in a way that is away from the bombing. Why is the Egyptian government and the UN not helping Palestinian civilians in urgent need in Gaza, and Rafah specifically? Both UN and Egypt could work together to rally the international community to assist with such an effort. It is hard to understand why such a simple action is not urgently pursued by the UN or the West.
The News Forum asked Egypt’s Ambassador to Canada for an explanation as to why there is no interest in opening the border to civilians, and they declined to comment. The News Forum also reached out to Global Affairs Canada as well, asking if they asked the Egyptians to allow for safe passage for civilians. And while Global Affairs did respond, their answer sidesteps the question, and doesn’t even mention Egypt in any way. Their response was:
“Canada opposes a full-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah. The impact on the more than 1 million civilians—including Canadians—currently seeking refuge there would be devastating. The forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza would be illegal and unacceptable. Canada calls for a lasting and sustainable ceasefire. Any ceasefire cannot be one-sided. Hamas must lay down its arms, and all hostages must be released.”
It would appear that only the Israelis have asked the Egyptians to allow for civilians to seek safe passage in the Sinai. That was confirmed on May 15th, when The News Forum asked the spokesperson for the Israeli government if they’ve raised the question with their Egyptian counterparts. David Mencer, said that Israel has made the request for Gazans to be given safe passage in Egypt, but that the request was declined by the Egyptians.
Egypt is claiming Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, due to a concern for Palestinian civilians, but when Israel is asking for Egypt’s help to avoid civilian causalities, Egypt’s response is no?
The positions currently held by the Egyptian government is not just morally perplexing, but by many onlookers appear downright cynical. If the Egyptian government truly cares about the loss of innocent lives in Gaza, rather than souring their peace agreement and relations with Israel via the ICC, they’d should just do the right thing.
The News Forum is confused about this astounding position of what should be a clear opportunity for Egypt to help Palestinian civilians.
Media Contact
Danielle Klammer
CMO, The News Forum
604.626.6993
d.klammer@thenewsforum.ca
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