Israeli Occupation Continues to Shut Down Rafah, Karem Abu Salem Crossings

Gaza: The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continue to close the Rafah border crossing and the Karem Abu Salem commercial crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, amid warnings of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Palestinian news agency (Wafa) said that the IOF occupied the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing and stopped the flow of aid to the strip on May 7, adding that, for ten consecutive days, the IOF continued to close the Karem Abu Salem commercial crossing, southeast Rafah, and prevented the entry of humanitarian and medical aid. The continued closure of the Rafah crossing, which is the main land crossing through which aid enters, and the wounded and sick leave to receive treatment outside of the Gaza Strip, threatens to exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, especially since the food stock in Gaza is almost finished, according to UN organizations. The closure of the two crossings coincided with the IOF expanding their ground and air attacks in all governorates of the Gaza Strip, after demanding the displacement of people from large areas in Jabalia, north of Gaza, and east and south of Rafah, and their incursion into the south of Gaza and east of Khan Younis. Medical sources also warned of the collapse of the health system in the Gaza Strip, in light of the continued closure of the crossings to the entry of aid and fuel supplies necessary to operate electricity generators in hospitals and ambulances. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the occupation authorities to reopen the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem crossings "immediately" to allow the entry of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, and called on them to stop this escalation. "Closing the two crossings at the same time is particularly harmful to the already desperate humanitarian situation, and they must be reopened immediately," Guterres said. The Israeli occupation continues its aggression against the Gaza Strip from all sides (air, land and sea) since Oct. 7, 2023, murdering at least 35,173 Palestini ans, most of whom were children, and injuring at least 79,061 others, while thousands of Palestinians remain under the rubble. Source: Qatar News Agency