CAIRO: Egypt will host Israeli and US officials on Sunday to discuss the reopening of the Rafah crossing, a vital conduit for aid into the besieged Gaza Strip, Egyptian state-linked media said.
Al-Qahera News quoted on Saturday a unidentified senior official as saying Cairo was demanding “a total Israeli withdrawal” from the terminal on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.
“An Egyptian-American-Israeli meeting is scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday) in Cairo to discuss the reopening of the Rafah crossing,” the official said.
The crossing has been closed since Israeli forces seized its Palestinian side in early May, reducing aid flows into the war-torn territory to a trickle.
Since then, Egypt and Israel have blamed each other for the blocking of aid deliveries through Rafah. The Egyptian authorities have refused to coordinate with the Israelis, preferring to work with international or Palestinian bodies.
After talks with US President Joe Biden last month, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi agreed to temporarily divert UN aid to the Kerem Shalom crossing, near Rafah but on Gaza’s border with Israel.
Biden on Friday revealed a multi-phase plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip proposed by Israel, saying it was “time for this war to end.”
The official quoted by Al-Qahera said that Egypt was undertaking “intensive efforts” to “resume negotiations” for a truce “in light of the recent American proposition.”
Egypt to host talks with Israel, US over Rafah crossing
https://arab.news/6cn3w
Egypt to host talks with Israel, US over Rafah crossing
- Cairo was demanding “a total Israeli withdrawal” from the terminal on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt
UN rights chief urges Iran to end violent crackdown, warns against death penalty
- Volker Turk: ‘The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop’
- Iranians’ grievances must be heard and addressed, and ‘not instrumentalized by anyone’
NEW YORK: The UN high commissioner for human rights on Tuesday urged Iran to immediately halt violence and repression against peaceful protesters, restore full access to the internet and telecommunications, and ensure accountability for serious human rights violations.
Volker Turk said he is horrified by reports of mounting violence by security forces against demonstrators across Iran, with hundreds reported killed and thousands arrested since protests erupted earlier this month.
“The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labeling of protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable,” he added.
It is “extremely worrying” to see public statements by Iranian judicial officials indicating the possible use of the death penalty against protesters through expedited judicial proceedings, Turk said.
He added that the protests echo mass demonstrations seen in 2022, with broad segments of the population demanding fundamental changes in governance.
He also criticized authorities for responding with what he described as brutal force to suppress legitimate demands.
“This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue,” he said, adding that all killings, violence against protesters and other alleged abuses must be investigated in line with international human rights standards, and those responsible held to account.
Turk also expressed alarm over reports that hospitals are overwhelmed by casualties, including children, and said nationwide internet and telecommunications shutdowns have hampered verification of events and obstructed independent human rights monitoring.
Iranian authorities imposed a nationwide internet shutdown on Jan. 8, which the UN said has disrupted freedom of expression, access to information, and emergency and lifesaving services. There are also reports that members of Iran’s security forces have been killed during the unrest.
Iranians have the right to demonstrate peacefully, Turk said, adding that their grievances must be heard and addressed, and “not instrumentalized by anyone.”
