CAIRO, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed on Friday the need for Israel to open all land crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip for full, safe, and unhindered access to humanitarian and relief aid into the war-torn area.
Shoukry made the remarks during a phone conversation with Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The top Egyptian diplomat and the UN official touched on the dangers of Israeli military operations in Rafah, as well as the Israeli control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.
They also stressed the need to ensure safe conditions for humanitarian aid to enter the Rafah crossing and end military operations in its vicinity.
Shoukry affirmed the importance of Israel respecting and protecting humanitarian workers, not targeting the headquarters of international relief agencies, as well as ensuring the access and freedom of movement of relief crews in the Gaza Strip.
On May 7, Israel's military started "a precise counterterrorism operation" in Rafah and assumed "operational control" over the Rafah crossing in Gaza. Since then, the crossing has been blocked against the movement of travelers and trucks carrying aid to more than 2 million Palestinians in the enclave. ■
