Qatar urges unhindered and permanent reopening of Rafah crossing

Qatar has stressed the need to reopen the Rafah land crossing in the south of the Gaza Strip “without obstacles and on a lasting basis”, after Israel kept it closed for two years.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said reopening the Rafah crossing for the movement of Palestinians was “a step in the right direction towards addressing the tragic conditions faced by civilians, especially in humanitarian and health areas”.

The ministry also underlined the need for all parties to fully implement the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and to open all crossings to ensure the steady and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid into the territory.

It reaffirmed “the State of Qatar’s firm and long-standing position in supporting the Palestinian cause and the resilience of the brotherly Palestinian people, based on international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution”.

Earlier on Monday, Egypt’s Al Qahera News TV channel reported that Egyptian authorities had received the first group of injured and sick Palestinians arriving from Gaza. It also said that several people returning to the Gaza Strip had crossed from the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing to the Palestinian side.

READ: Rafah crossing officially reopens