What's happened
Israel's military incursion into Rafah and closure of border crossings in Gaza has severely disrupted aid operations, threatening the delivery of essential supplies to the enclave's population.
Why it matters
Israel's seizure of the Gaza crossings has dire implications for aid operations in Gaza, with the closure threatening to worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis in the region. The move has drawn sharp warnings from international agencies and officials, who fear a catastrophic impact on the lives of the people in Gaza.
What the papers say
The United Nations and aid agencies have condemned Israel's actions, warning of further depletion of already scarce supplies in Gaza. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded the immediate reopening of key land crossings to enable aid supplies to reach Palestinians in Gaza. Amnesty International called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its ground operations in Rafah and ensure unfettered access for humanitarian aid.
How we got here
Israel's closure of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings follows a limited incursion into Rafah, where Hamas operates. The closures have cut off vital aid routes into Gaza, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation in the region. The closures have left as many as a million displaced Palestinians, including many children, in squalid conditions and reliant on international aid efforts.
Common question
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Why has Israel seized control of Gaza's Rafah crossing?
Israel's recent seizure of Gaza's Rafah crossing has sparked international concern due to its impact on aid routes and the humanitarian crisis in the region. The closure of the crossing has left Gaza on the brink of famine, with essential supplies dwindling. Let's delve into the reasons behind Israel's control of the Rafah crossing and its implications.
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How has Israel's military incursion into Rafah disrupted aid operations in Gaza?
Israel's military incursion into Rafah and the subsequent closure of border crossings in Gaza have had a significant impact on aid operations in the region. The disruption has raised concerns about the delivery of essential supplies to the population in Gaza, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
More on these topics
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The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.
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Rafah is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. It is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate, located 30 kilometers south of Gaza City. Rafah's population of 152,950 is overwhelmingly made up of former Palestinian refugees.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
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The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs, are an ethnonational group comprising the modern descendants of the peoples who have lived in Palestine continuously over the centuries and who today are largely culturally and
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The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.