Latest news with #NorthSinai
The National
6 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Gaza aid lorries back at Rafah crossing as Egypt strains to avoid famine blame
After months of closure due to an Israeli military blockade, Egypt 's Rafah border crossing has been revived as a critical lifeline for Gaza -bound aid. Thousands of lorries laden with aid have returned to North Sinai province, preparing to enter the besieged strip. The crossing has become a contentious issue for Egypt, accused by critics of keeping it shut, arresting activists and assisting Israel. Speaking to The National from the border point on Wednesday, the governor of North Sinai, Maj Gen Khaled Megawer, described the accusations as baseless and part of a 'comprehensive smear campaign' by Muslim Brotherhood factions aiming to undermine the state. Seeking to counteract the criticism, the heads of Egypt's largest aid providers to Gaza – including the Egyptian Red Crescent and the National Alliance for Development Work – gave speeches from Rafah to journalists transported by the government from Cairo. In an impassioned address, Red Crescent chief Amal Imam revealed the organisation had delivered more than 500,000 tonnes of aid to Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023, carried by 36,000 lorries. Dr Imam denounced what she called the injustice and brutality of Israel's war on Gaza, and joined the many aid workers on the border who told The National their biggest hope was for a ceasefire and an end to Palestinians' suffering. The National Alliance, which is made up of more than a dozen charities that pool their resources, said it has delivered 70,000 tonnes of aid to Gaza since the start of the war. It has organised 11 convoys, the latest being mobilised on Wednesday. Representing the alliance, former immigration minister Nabila Makram hailed Egypt's support of Palestine and said an awareness campaign had been launched to educate young Egyptians about their country's backing for the Palestinian people and their cause. Responding to calls from Egyptians for any action to help mitigate the famine, Egypt began putting pressure on the Israeli side to allow the entry of aid last month. Deliveries had been halted for months and 'Gaza was starving to death', said Maj Gen Megawer. The governor recounted a poor elderly woman bringing him a carton of food and asking him to send it to Gaza, a testament to how distressing Egyptians have found the famine caused by Israel's blockade. The pressure was successful, he said, in that Israel made an informal agreement with Cairo in July 'outside the framework of its dealings with Hamas ' to allow the entry of aid. Israel has also faced intense criticism from governments all over the world, including France, Germany, the UK and even some factions within the Trump administration, for starving Gazans and killing civilians on their way to receive aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. However, beyond humanitarian concerns, Maj Gen Megawer said Egypt was also protecting its strategic interests by cranking up pressure to resume aid and end the famine. Chief among those goals is not allowing the displacement of Palestinians from their land in Egypt, as US President Donald Trump has suggested. Zionists have for decades called for the absorption of Palestinians by neighbouring countries. 'When Gazans starve, what are they going to do?" the governor said. "They are going to try to enter Israel or throw themselves into the sea or come to Egypt, which to us is a red line, so we had to get food inside and bear the economic losses that come with that." That position was reiterated by Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, who told a state news outlet that Egypt rejected the displacement of Palestinians and that their right to their land needed to be protected through a permanent and immediate ceasefire. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has accused Israel of turning the war "into a war of starvation, extermination and the liquidation of the Palestinian cause," arguing that "it is no longer a war to achieve political goals or release hostages". He said the war "has long surpassed any logic or justification," and that "the lives of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank are being used as a political bargaining chip". However, even as Egypt has defensively sought to remedy its image and highlight its pivotal role in aid deliveries to the enclave, reports from inside Gaza say that aid is not being delivered in sufficient amounts and that some is being looted by armed gangs or turned back at Israeli security checkpoints. An Egyptian Red Crescent worker stationed at the border told The National that each day, the lorries are prepared and around 600 enter at 5.30am. The aid workers are then forced to wait until the end of the day to see how many of the lorries have actually made it in. She explained that every day since aid deliveries resumed through Rafah in July, hundreds of lorries have been turned back daily. 'Yes, of course there is a great deal of obstruction from the Israeli side, this is a war after all, not a commercial exchange,' Maj Gen Megawer told The National. 'And you are dealing with Hamas on one side and Israel on the other, two parties of the utmost difficulty. But we will continue to push for more food and for an end to the famine and the war.' While journalists were being briefed on Wednesday afternoon, the governor's speech was repeatedly interrupted by the loud honks from lorries exiting the access road to the right of the Rafah crossing, which they use to get to the Karem Abu Salem crossing where cargoes are inspected by Israel. Since July, aid deliveries to Gaza have resumed but remain severely constrained. Between July 20 and August 3, more than 12,000 tonnes of food were brought into Gaza through the UN-run mechanism. However, the UN says more than 90 per cent of these supplies were looted by armed groups or offloaded by starving crowds before reaching warehouses.
Asharq Al-Awsat
25-06-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Egypt's EGAS Awards 6 Blocks in Mediterranean, Nile Delta, N. Sinai to Int'l Companies
Egypt's EGAS has awarded four blocks in the Mediterranean, one in the Nile delta, and one in North Sinai to international companies, according to a petroleum ministry statement on Wednesday. Companies will invest $ 245 million to drill at least 13 new exploratory wells during the exploration period. A consortium of Chevron Egypt and Shell's BG Group was awarded the North Samian offshore block and Northwest Atoll offshore block, where it will drill two exploratory wells in each block. The North Ras El Tin offshore block was awarded to Eni's IEOC, with plans to drill three exploratory wells. Cheiron Egypt will drill three exploratory wells in East Alexandria offshore block, while IPR will drill two exploratory wells in the North Tanta onshore block and Perenco will conduct 3D seismic survey and drill one exploratory well in El Fayrouz onshore block in North Sinai.
Zawya
25-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt's EGAS awards 6 blocks in Mediterranean, Nile delta, N. Sinai to international companies
CAIRO - Egypt's EGAS has awarded four blocks in the Mediterranean, one in the Nile delta, and one in North Sinai to international companies, according to a petroleum ministry statement on Wednesday. Companies will invest $ 245 million to drill at least 13 new exploratory wells during the exploration period. A consortium of Chevron Egypt and Shell's BG Group was awarded the North Samian offshore block and Northwest Atoll offshore block, where it will drill two exploratory wells in each block. The North Ras El Tin offshore block was awarded to Eni's IEOC, with plans to drill three exploratory wells. Cheiron Egypt will drill three exploratory wells in East Alexandria offshore block, while IPR will drill two exploratory wells in the North Tanta onshore block and Perenco will conduct 3D seismic survey and drill one exploratory well in El Fayrouz onshore block in North Sinai. (Reporting by Mohamed Ezz Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
Reuters
25-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Egypt's EGAS awards 6 blocks in Mediterranean, Nile delta, N. Sinai to international companies
CAIRO, June 25 (Reuters) - Egypt's EGAS has awarded four blocks in the Mediterranean, one in the Nile delta, and one in North Sinai to international companies, according to a petroleum ministry statement on Wednesday. Companies will invest $ 245 million to drill at least 13 new exploratory wells during the exploration period. A consortium of Chevron Egypt and Shell's BG Group was awarded the North Samian offshore block and Northwest Atoll offshore block, where it will drill two exploratory wells in each block. The North Ras El Tin offshore block was awarded to Eni's IEOC, with plans to drill three exploratory wells. Cheiron Egypt will drill three exploratory wells in East Alexandria offshore block, while IPR will drill two exploratory wells in the North Tanta onshore block and Perenco will conduct 3D seismic survey and drill one exploratory well in El Fayrouz onshore block in North Sinai.
Malay Mail
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
March to Gaza halted in Egypt as authorities crack down on activists
CAIRO, June 14 — Egyptian authorities have blocked activists' efforts to hold a march to the Gaza border to draw attention to Israel's blockade of the war-torn Palestinian territory, organisers said Saturday. Several dozen activists hoping to join the planned Global March to Gaza were stopped on the edge of Cairo as they attempted to reach the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya, the organisers said. From there they had hoped to travel on by road to the North Sinai city of El-Arish, the starting point for their planned march to the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza border. Most of the activists were ordered onto buses back to the capital after several hours of questioning, but some remained in custody on Saturday, the organisers said. 'We were blocked for six to seven hours before security forces violently dispersed our group,' one organiser said. At least one activist was expelled from Egypt, several sources said, adding to dozens more denied entry or expelled in the run-up. Egyptian authorities have not commented on the reported expulsions. Activists, heading towards Gaza by land are greeted by Libyans after crossing into Libya from Tunisia. — AFP pic The foreign ministry had warned that while Egypt backs efforts to put 'pressure on Israel' to lift its Gaza blockade, any foreign delegations intending to visit the border area must obtain prior permission. — AFP
