Egypt says it fully controls its borders after Netanyahu calls for closure of Gaza-Egypt border crossing
Egypt remains in full control of its borders, foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said Saturday, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for the closure of Egypt's border with Gaza before the war ends. “Egypt fully controls its borders and controls it completely, and these issues are subject to legal and security agreements between the countries involved, so any talk on this matter is generally subject to scrutiny and is responded to with declared positions,” Abu Zeid said during an interview with Egyptian television channel Sada El-Balad on Saturday.
Netanyahu said Israel can’t finish its war against Hamas until the closure of the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (roughly 8.6-mile) strip of land that serves as the border between Egypt and Gaza. He said that even after Hamas is defeated, "military equipment and other deadly weapons will continue to enter this southern opening — so of course we need to close it."
The foreign ministry spokesperson further reiterated Egypt's role in the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, blaming Israel for hindering it. "We have made it clear from day one that any decisions that hinder the entry of aid are essentially Israeli measures and it comes through various methods, including strictness in inspecting trucks, wasting a lot of time in the inspection process, prohibiting and obstructing the entry of medical aid, and obstructing the entry of journalists and officials" he said.
UN agency says more commercial supplies must be allowed into Gaza to prevent famine
Commercial goods are desperately needed in Gaza to prevent an incoming famine as Israel approaches the 100th day of its war in the enclave, according to the head of the main United Nations agency working in Gaza. "The crisis in Gaza is a man-made disaster compounded by dehumanizing language and the use of food, water and fuel as instruments of war" United Nations Relief and Works Agency Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement Saturday. "Humanitarian aid alone will not be sufficient to reverse a looming famine."
Lazzarini urged leaders to heed the calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and enable the delivery of more food, medicine, water and shelter to those affected by the enclave's “mass displacement.” "The onset of winter makes life even more unbearable, especially for those living out in the open,” the UN official warned.
More than 1.4 million people are staying in “overcrowded and unsanitary” UN shelters, where they lack food and hygiene, according to Lazzarini. The commissioner-general also spoke of the war's toll on Israelis since Hamas launched its devastating attack on the country on October 7, 2023. Dozens of hostages captured during the attack remain held in Gaza. "It's been 100 days of ordeal and anxiety for hostages and their families," Lazzarini said.
Thousands march on US capital in support of Gaza
Members of an international anti-Zionist and ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jewish group
A large group of protesters reached the White House in the United States capital on Saturday as part of an event dubbed "The March on Washington for Gaza."
Protest organizers — a coalition of groups including the Council on American-Islamic Relations — said thousands of demonstrators attended the event Saturday afternoon, which saw attendees listen to speakers and march from Freedom Plaza to the White House.
Organizers had arranged buses to allow people from outside the area to travel to Washington, DC, for the march, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for an end to US support for Israel's offensive in the enclave.
Officials placed additional fencing in front of the White House complex ahead of the event, according to the US Secret Service. Chants could be heard inside the White House complex after the protesters arrived there Saturday evening, and several Secret Service agents could be seen monitoring the situation.
President Joe Biden is not at the White House Saturday evening.
US Senator Sanders urged Biden to distance himself from ‘horrific’ war
Bernie Sanders has voiced some of his harshest criticism yet of Israel’s war on Gaza after facing earlier backlash from progressives for refusing to voice support for a ceasefire.
“I hope that he [Biden] understands that you can be pro-Israel without supporting Netanyahu and the horrific war he is waging against the Palestinian people,” Sanders said in an interview with the UK newspaper The Guardian.
Earlier this week, Sanders also called for greater scrutiny on US arms sales to Israel, saying the US is “deeply complicit in what is going on, and we have to ensure the US aid is being used in line with international human rights and our own laws”.
Thousands participate in Tel Aviv rally marking 100 days of war, according to organizer
People called for the immediate release of captives at a protest to mark 100 days since they have been held by Hamas in Gaza
An estimated 120,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv to participate in a rally marking 100 days of Israel’s war with Hamas, according to rally’s organizer, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. The so-called "100 Days of Hell rally" started at 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) on Saturday and will go on until 8 p.m. Sunday, which will be the 100th day of the war.
