Egypt sends engineering equipment and technical staff to Gaza to start reconstruction
Egyptian bulldozers and cranes cross from the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip.
Reuters
Yesterday, Egypt sent a convoy of technical staff and engineering equipment to remove the rubble left by the Israeli bombing of Gaza during the recent war between Israel and Hamas, and to prepare for reconstruction operations, according to an official statement.
The statement indicated that "on the instructions of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, yesterday, Egyptian engineering equipment and technical staff crossed the Rafah border into the Gaza Strip, to contribute to removing rubble and the rubble of demolished houses and towers, in the context of relieving the citizens of the Strip and quickly returning life to normal."
The statement added that this convoy will "pave the way for the start of the reconstruction process."
Egyptian television channels broadcast pictures of dozens of bulldozers, cranes and trucks, carrying Egyptian flags, as they cross from the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip.
Egypt played a major role in mediating the truce between the two sides.
On May 20, the Egyptian President announced the allocation of $500 million to aid the reconstruction of Gaza, provided that Egyptian companies would participate in this work.
Egypt also sent, through the Rafah crossing, food aid to Gaza, and received wounded people from the Strip for treatment in Egyptian hospitals.
From May 10 to 21, 254 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, including 66 children and fighters, according to local authorities.
In Israel, rockets fired from the Strip killed 12 people, including a child, a girl and a soldier, according to the Israeli police.
According to the Ministry of Housing in Gaza, 1,500 housing units were completely destroyed during the fighting, 1,500 other units were uninhabitable, and 17,000 units were partially damaged.
An official in the ministry estimated the cost of reconstruction at about 150 million dollars.
• The Egyptian convoy contributes to removing the rubble and rubble of the demolished towers.
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