New restoration work on the fence separating Egypt and the Gaza Strip, east of Rafah (Al Jazeera)
Pictures taken yesterday, Monday, showed that the Egyptian authorities were carrying out new restoration work on the fence separating Egypt and the Gaza Strip, east of Rafah.
The pictures show heavy equipment transporting sand and strengthening the watchtowers and concrete fence along the border with the Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials had accused the Egyptian side of turning a blind eye to weapons smuggling across the border area separating the Gaza Strip.
But the Egyptian side denied this through the spokesman for the State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, who said that Egypt had taken steps to eliminate the border tunnels with Gaza once and for all, as a 5-kilometre-long buffer zone was established from the Egyptian city of Rafah to the border with Gaza, and more than 1,500 tunnels were destroyed. Tunnel, Egypt also strengthened the border wall with the sector, which extends for 14 kilometers, by reinforcing it with a concrete wall.
Egypt had denied accusations brought against it by the Israeli defense team before the International Court of Justice, saying that Cairo was responsible for preventing the entry of humanitarian and relief aid into the Gaza Strip from the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing.
Egypt described the Israeli accusations as “allegations and lies,” and the head of the Egyptian Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, said that the inconsistency and lies of the Israeli allegations are clear from the fact that all Israeli officials have confirmed dozens of times in public statements since the start of the aggression on Gaza, that they will not allow aid to enter the Gaza Strip, especially Fuel, because this is part of the war that Israel is waging against the Strip.
Pictures show the Egyptian authorities carrying out new restoration work on the fence separating Egypt and the Gaza Strip, east of Rafah (Al Jazeera)
South Africa filed a lawsuit before the International Court of Justice on December 29, accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a devastating war for more than 3 months, leaving tens of thousands martyred and wounded and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel's lawyer before the International Court of Justice, Christopher Stucker, said during the session held on January 12, to hear the arguments of Israel's defense team, that access to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing is controlled by Egypt, and Israel has no obligation to do so under international law. .
The head of the Egyptian State Information Service said in a statement at the time published on the body’s website and highlighted by local media, “When the occupying state found itself before the International Court of Justice accused with documented evidence of crimes against humanity, it resorted to throwing accusations against Egypt in an attempt to escape its likely condemnation by "The court."
Source: Al Jazeera