Biden to address war; Israel strikes Gaza crossing with Egypt

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

JERUSALEM — President Biden is set to address the Israel-Hamas war, in which hundreds have already died, at 1 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday as the United States rushes to deliver military aid to Israel. Israel announced a “full siege” of Gaza, mobilizing 300,000 reservists as it fights to regain control of the border after Hamas militants launched an unprecedented incursion over the weekend. Gaza authorities said an Israeli airstrike hit the Rafah border crossing with Egypt — the second strike in under 24 hours on the only gateway out of the enclave.


Read more: https://wapo.st/3txKQcD

[brooklynite]

1. "Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the only way out of Gaza, is closed"

CAIRO — With Israel having declared a “full siege” of Gaza, and the specter of a massive ground invasion looming, attention has turned to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt — the only way out of the densely populated enclave.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/10/israel-hamas-war-gaza-attack-updates/#link-RA5MZNPFFZC5TC6IVGSUDQOZBM

[Raven]

2. Why would Israel block that exit?

[Mosby]

4. They didn't, the Egyptians did.

Apparently they don't want to take in any Palestinian civilians.

[Beastly Boy]

3. Egypt closed the Rafah crossing two days ago.

Israel's blockade does not apply to Egypt's border. Perhaps Israeli strikes are meant to "reopen" it.

[moniss]

5. A report on the BBC was talking about

how the Egyptians are hardly prepared to suddenly take on possibly hundreds of thousands of refugees pouring into the Sinai desert. As has always been the case with Egypt they have their own issues with the Palestinian matters that have been unresolved for so many decades. There is no player in the many recent decades of Middle East issues with clean hands. Anywhere. But I made mention of this Egypt issue I heard on the BBC and it does highlight the obvious problem of having a sudden massive surge through the crossing and into Egyptian territory that is ill equipped to deal with the surge short or long term. Egypt also would be looking at the very real possibility of having the creation of another "long term refugee camp" of huge size to try and administer etc.