Since announcing its “war on Hamas” on Saturday following what has been called “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”, Israel has been relentlessly striking the Gaza Strip in retaliation. A “complete siege” of the city by Israel is in full effect, leading to closed borders, and shut lines of power and water. Israel’s attacks, which place Gaza’s 2.3 million citizens at risk of death by starvation or shrapnel, has prompted the city’s residents to flee to the nearest escape. In Gaza’s case, that escape is the Rafah crossing bordering Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Egypt’s inevitable inclusion in the Israeli-Palestinian escalation, by nature of its proximity to the action, raises several questions over whether they will open the borders for Palestinians in Gaza to escape or not. IN THE LINE OF FIRE? Egypt had already attempted to provide medical aid and food to Gaza in response to Israeli airstrikes decimating the city. Palestinian sources at the Rafah crossing informed Ahram Online that Egypt’s attempts to bring trucks with aid to the crossing was stopped by bombed roads on the Gaza side by Israel on 10 October. Video footage of the trucks making a u-turn circulated…
