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Egyptian, US presidents agree on humanitarian deliveries to Gaza via Rafah checkpoint

The presidents also agreed that the US and Egyptian authorities will coordinate their actions with international organizations, including the United Nations

CAIRO, October 19. /TASS/. Presidents Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt and Joe Biden of the United States have reached an agreement on the long-term delivery of humanitarian cargoes to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing, the office of the Egyptian leader said after their phone call.

"The presidents agreed on the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah checkpoint on the long-term basis," it said, adding that the presidents also agreed that the US and Egyptian authorities will coordinate their actions with international organizations, including the United Nations.

Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank. More than 3,400 Palestinians have been killed and more than 12,000 others injured. In Israel, at least 1,500 people have lost their lives and almost 4,500 have been wounded.