LONDON
The British minister for the Middle East on Friday called for the urgent reopening of the Rafah border crossing, saying the move is essential to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
"The Rafah Crossing must urgently be reopened," Hamis Falconer wrote on the US social media company X.
Falconer said reopening the crossing would help increase aid deliveries into Gaza and allow people in need of urgent medical treatment to access care.
On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on social media that she "strongly welcomes" news that the Rafah crossing may open in the coming days.
"We want to see this implemented as soon as possible so more aid reaches Gaza and those in need of urgent medical treatment can access vital care," she added.
The renewed call came after Ali Shaath, head of Gaza’s newly formed, Washington-backed transition committee, announced Thursday that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will reopen next week for two-way travel.
Since the ceasefire came into force in October last year, Israeli forces have killed 477 Palestinians and wounded 1,301 others in alleged violations of the agreement.
The ceasefire ended a war that began in October 2023 and lasted about two years, killing more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounding over 171,000 others.
The war caused widespread destruction, with about 90% of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure damaged or destroyed, and reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at roughly $70 billion.