Rishi Sunak urges continued support for Gaza during trip to Egypt

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has visited Egypt as part of his tour of the Middle East. During his visit, he met with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to discuss the ongoing conflict in the region. Sunak and Abbas condemned Hamas's attacks on Israel and expressed their condolences for civilian deaths in Gaza. They also called for the swift reopening of the Egypt-Gaza border to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid. Sunak praised Egypt's efforts to secure aid delivery through the Rafah border crossing. He emphasized that providing aid to Gaza is an immediate priority and the UK is working with Egypt to provide practical assistance. US President Joe Biden announced that aid trucks would likely enter Gaza within the next 24 to 48 hours. Prior to his visit to Egypt, Sunak thanked Qatar's emir for facilitating the release of hostages taken by Hamas. He also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urging him to support stability in the region. The United Nations expects the first aid delivery into Gaza via the Rafah border crossing to take place in the next day or so. The UN has described Gaza as being under a complete siege, with Israel blocking essential supplies. Bombardments by Israeli warplanes and artillery have led to thousands of casualties in the Gaza Strip. Dozens of aid trucks are waiting at the Egyptian border, carrying food, water, and medicine. Sunak's Middle East tour began in Israel, where he expressed support for the country's fight against Hamas. The visit comes ahead of an upcoming summit on the future of the Palestinian issue in Egypt.