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Egypt Transfers Palestinians Wounded in Israeli Attacks through Rafah Crossing

Ambulances transfer wounded Palestinians through the Rafah crossing. (dpa)
Ambulances transfer wounded Palestinians through the Rafah crossing. (dpa)
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Egypt Transfers Palestinians Wounded in Israeli Attacks through Rafah Crossing

Ambulances transfer wounded Palestinians through the Rafah crossing. (dpa)
Ambulances transfer wounded Palestinians through the Rafah crossing. (dpa)

Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip for the second consecutive day on Monday to receive people wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the enclave.

The Palestinian Embassy in Cairo said a medical committee was present at the border crossing to transfer the casualties as they arrived and send them across designated hospitals for treatment. Several ambulances have been equipped to transport them, it added.

Palestinian Ambassador in Cairo Diab al-Louh said work is underway to transfer the rest of the wounded from the Strip to Egypt, hoping the process will be done quickly in light of the continuing Israeli assault.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian government sent a convoy carrying crucial aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has coordinated with Palestinians in Gaza Strip to meet their needs, MENA reported.

Egypt has also intensified its diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire, in coordination with several countries, mainly the United States.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Sunday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and discussed developments in the Palestinian territories.

Blinken thanked Cairo for its ongoing efforts to support an end to the violence, an Egyptian statement read.

Both officials “highlighted the importance of the strong strategic bilateral partnership to establish peace and stability in the region.”

Shoukry also received two other phone calls from his Greek and Dutch counterparts, Nikos Dendias and Stef Blok.

Parties discussed the rapid developments taking place in the Palestinian territories and the escalation in the Gaza Strip.

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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)

Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport as well as all roads leading into the city on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters, as the groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said they had reached the heart of Aleppo.
The opposition fighters, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, carried out a surprise sweep through government-held towns this week and reached Aleppo nearly a decade after having been forced out by Assad and his allies.
Russia, one of Assad's key allies, has promised Damascus extra military aid to thwart the opposition, two military sources said, adding new hardware would start arriving in the next 72 hours.
The Syrian army has been told to follow "safe withdrawal" orders from the main areas of the city that the opposition have entered, three army sources said.
The fighters began their incursion on Wednesday and by late Friday an operations room representing the offensive said they were sweeping through various neighbourhoods of Aleppo.
They are returning to the city for the first time since 2016, when Assad and his allies Russia, Iran, and regional Shi'ite militias retook it, with the insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege.
Mustafa Abdul Jaber, a commander in the Jaish al-Izza opposition brigade, said their speedy advance this week had been helped by a lack of Iran-backed manpower in the broader Aleppo province. Iran's allies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the hands of Israel as the Gaza war has expanded through the Middle East.
The opposition fighters have said the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air force on areas in opposition-held Idlib, and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army.
Opposition sources in touch with Turkish intelligence said Turkiye, which supports the opposition, had given a green light to the offensive.
But Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on Friday that Turkiye sought to avoid greater instability in the region and had warned recent attacks undermined de-escalation agreements.
The attack is the biggest since March 2020, when Russia and Turkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict.
CIVILIANS KILLED IN FIGHTING
On Friday, Syrian state television denied opposition had reached the city and said Russia was providing Syria's military with air support.
The Syrian military said it was fighting back against the attack and had inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib.
David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said: "We're deeply alarmed by the situation unfolding in northwest Syria."
"Relentless attacks over the past three days have claimed the lives of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as 8 years old."
Syrian state news agency SANA said four civilians including two students were killed on Friday in Aleppo by insurgent shelling of university student dormitories. It was not clear if they were among the 27 dead reported by the UN official.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow regarded the attack as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.
"We are in favor of the Syrian authorities bringing order to the area and restoring constitutional order as soon as possible," he said.