Jordanian and Egyptian officials are applying “diplomatic and political pressure on the Israeli government to allow for the safe passage of aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing,” a senior Jordanian official told CNN Thursday.
A plane carrying medical aid for Gaza from Jordan arrived in the Egyptian city of Arish, approximately 45 kilometers (about 27 miles) away from the Rafah crossing into Gaza, on Thursday.
Aid was loaded onto Egyptian Red Crescent trucks that have not yet been able to advance towards the border, according to the Jordanian official.
While the Egyptian side of the Rafah border is open, the source told CNN, the Palestinian side of the border is “non-functional,” following multiple Israeli airstrikes targeting the vicinity earlier this week.
“Jordanians and Egyptians are waiting for security clearance from the Israelis to allow the trucks to cross without threat of another airstrike,” the source said. “Additionally, the roads into Gaza from the border crossing are damaged and need maintenance so that trucks are able to pass through.”
A Palestinian border employee in Gaza, who asked not to be named told CNN Friday that the Rafah border with Egypt is still closed, three days after an Israeli airstrike.
“The border is closed. No employees are working at the moment, and the main building is still damaged after it was struck by Israelis three days ago,” the employee said.
“The border is closed due to safety concerns, and fear of another airstrike,” the employee said. “The Egyptians have not given us orders to open the gate connecting the Palestinian side of the border with the Egyptian side.”
It is not clear if the border crossing is fully functional. Israel Defense Forces have not said that the border crossing was struck but said that an underground tunnel for smuggling weapons and equipment was struck in the Rafah area. It’s unclear where exactly the strike occurred.
On Tuesday, Eyad al-Bozom, spokesperson for the Palestinian Interior Ministry, said Israeli warplanes struck the gateway and teams working at the crossing were asked to evacuate “immediately due to threats of strikes of the crossing.”
The order came from the management of the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian side, Bozom added.