Turkiye: demonstration at Egyptian Consulate to demand opening of Rafah crossing

Turkish activists organised a protest in front of the Egyptian Consulate in Istanbul yesterday to demand the complete opening of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip in support of the besieged Palestinian people. The protest was organised by the Turkish Mustu Genclik organisation.

“We must discuss Egypt’s failure to open the Rafah crossing, as much as we discuss the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza,” said well-known Turkish journalist Kemal Ozturk. “Everyone must put pressure on Egypt to open the border crossing. We journalists also want to enter Gaza and take over from our colleagues who were martyred.”

READ: ICC to investigate Israel attacks on Gaza’s journalists

A defence lawyer for the Israeli occupation state at the International Court of Justice dropped a political bombshell 10 days ago when he held the Egyptian authorities responsible for preventing aid entering the Gaza Strip. This was denied by the Egyptian authorities.

The people of the Gaza Strip are suffering from an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe as a result of Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinians. More than two million have been displaced, many more than once. Camps and shelters are totally inadequate in the winter weather. Homes, medical facilities and media teams continue to be targeted by Israel.

More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, with another 8,000 missing, presumed dead, under the rubble of their homes. Most were women and children. At least 62,000 people have been wounded in the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure by the so-called Israel Defence Forces.

 UNRWA: Egypt has never closed the Rafah Crossing