The president of the African Union Fee, Moussa Faki Mahamat. | Picture credit score: REUTERS
The African Union on Wednesday condemned Israeli army actions in Rafah, southern Gaza, and known as on the worldwide group to cease “this lethal escalation” of the battle.
AU Fee chief Moussa Faki Mahamat “strongly condemns the extension of this battle to the Rafah crossing,” he mentioned in an announcement after Israeli tanks captured the important thing hall for humanitarian assist to the besieged Palestinian territory. .
Faki “expresses its excessive concern concerning the battle waged by Israel in Gaza that causes, always, mass deaths and systematic destruction of human residing situations,” the assertion mentioned.
“Calls on the whole worldwide group to successfully coordinate collective motion to cease this lethal escalation.”
The Israeli advance towards Rafah, which is filled with displaced civilians, got here as negotiators and mediators met in Cairo to attempt to dealer a truce within the seven-month battle between Israel and the Hamas militant group.
Israel mentioned on Wednesday it had reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing to humanitarian assist for Gaza, 4 days after closing it in response to a rocket assault that killed 4 troopers.
He mentioned the Erez border crossing between Israel and northern Gaza was additionally open for the supply of assist to the Palestinian territory, for the primary time because the battle broke out.
The United Nations and the US, Israel’s staunchest ally, condemned the closure of the crossings, that are a lifeline for civilians dealing with imminent famine.