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French President Emmanuel Macron travelled to El-Arish, Egypt, on Tuesday, a crucial aid transit point for Gaza, to pressure Israel to lift its restrictions on humanitarian deliveries to the war-torn Palestinian territory.
Accompanied by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Macron visited a hospital in the port city, near the Gaza Strip, where he interacted with medical staff and Palestinian patients, including children, who had been evacuated from Gaza.
Macron’s visit aimed to increase international pressure on Israel to reopen crossing points for aid into Gaza, according to his office.
Israel had halted aid deliveries in early March amidst ceasefire negotiations with Hamas and subsequently resumed military operations.
Doctors at the El-Arish hospital reported treating approximately 1,200 Palestinian patients since the conflict began in October 2023, with many suffering severe injuries.
In Cairo, Macron, Sisi, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II jointly called for an immediate ceasefire. The leaders convened on Monday to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the majority of its 2.4 million residents have been displaced.
A joint statement from UN agencies highlighted the dire conditions in Gaza, where civilians are trapped and facing shortages of food, medicine, and shelter, while vital supplies remain blocked at crossing points.
