Former Irish President Mary Robinson has traveled to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, where she accused Israel of deliberately blocking the entry of humanitarian aid into the starving and war-torn Palestinian enclave.
Speaking to reporters on the Egyptian side of the closed border, Robinson said trucks carrying aid were being turned away “for no reason,” despite strict checks by the Egyptian Red Crescent and the UN. “We saw tents, generators, wheelchairs, crutches, children’s books — all left in warehouses and undelivered,” she said.
Robinson visited the border crossing as part of the group The Elders, along with former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. After the visit, they described the situation as a “genocide and famine in progress” and called for international sanctions on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his security cabinet. They also demanded an end to arms supplies to Israel and the suspension of trade deals, including those with the EU.
In a joint statement, Robinson and Clark expressed “shock and outrage” at the deliberate obstruction of aid, saying it was causing widespread famine. They also condemned the deliberate killing of journalist Anas al-Sharif and four of his colleagues in Gaza, calling it an attempt to “silence the truth.”
In the same vein, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris, along with counterparts from 24 other countries, warned that famine is “unfolding before our eyes” and called for the immediate opening of all border crossings for the entry of massive aid. The statement, also signed by senior EU representatives, thanked the US, Qatar and Egypt for their efforts towards a ceasefire that would end the war and allow the entry of unconditional humanitarian aid.
Several EU countries, including Germany and Hungary, have not signed the declaration. Meanwhile, UN agencies and international NGOs warn that Israel's new registration restrictions could force many organizations to leave the occupied territories by September 9, exacerbating the crisis.
