An Italian solidarity delegation has arrived in the Gaza Strip, on Thursday evening via the Rafah crossing, in order to assess the humanitarian situation across Gaza’s five governorates and refugee camps.
An Italian solidarity delegation has arrived in the Gaza Strip, on Thursday evening via the Rafah crossing, in order to assess the humanitarian situation across Gaza’s five governorates and refugee camps.
Al Ray news agency reports that the delegation is composed of 27 activists who donated medicines to the health sector in Gaza, noting that they would meet with a number of government officials, representatives of factions and civil society and human rights organizations.
The delegation arrives just after Egyptian authorities ‘exceptionally’ opened the Rafah crossing to them on Thursday evening.
The Rafah terminal saw frequent closures since the Egyptian military deposed the freely-elected President –now detained- in a coup against his rule in early July 2013.
Egypt has repeatedly closed the Rafah border crossing since the recent deposition of President Mohammed Morsi, leading to an extreme decline in the number of solidarity and aid delegations entering to Gaza.
The Rafah crossing has been the principal connection between Gaza’s 1.7 million residents and the outside world, since the beginning of the Israeli economic blockade in 2007.
