Cairo (Web Desk): Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened on Saturday, 21 October, 10:00am local time, to let a small amount of desperately needed aid flow to Palestinians running short of food, medicine and water in besieged Gaza Strip, also allowing foreign citizens, who were released by Hamas, to depart Gaza.
A convoy of only 20 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Saturday from Egypt, carrying medicine and food supplies. Aid groups have repeatedly described the initial delivery as “a drop in the ocean”
More than 200 trucks carrying roughly 3,000 tonnes of aid had been queued along Rafah crossing for days before heading into Gaza.
Many in Gaza, reduced to eating one meal a day and without enough water to drink, are waiting desperately for aid because Israel has sealed off the territory for two weeks, forcing Palestinians to ration food and to drink filthy water from wells. Hospital workers were also in urgent need of medical supplies as they are running low on medicine, and fuel for their generators amid a territory-wide blackout as they treat thousands of people wounded in the bombings.
Israel blockaded the territory and launched waves of punishing air attacks following an October 7 rampage by Hamas fighters on towns in southern Israel.
Earlier, United States' embassy in Jerusalem, informed on X, about opening of border crossing saying they are unknown for how long it will remain open. The post did not mention anything about aid but mention that border will open for safe depart of foreign citizens from Gaza.
Security Alert 11: We have received info that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will open on Saturday, 21 October, 10:00am local time. If the border is opened, we do not know how long it will remain open for foreign citizens to depart Gaza. https://t.co/WD8AeWCrkB pic.twitter.com/XPZQUiu10v
— U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) October 21, 2023
On the other hand Hamas released two U.S. hostages, mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan, who were kidnapped in its attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday.
According to media reports, a spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, Abu Ubaida, said the hostages were released in response to Qatari mediation efforts, "for humanitarian reasons, and to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless".
A team from the U.S. Embassy in Israel shortly talked to the two Americans who were freed.
.@POTUS spoke this evening with the two American citizens who had been held hostage by Hamas. We are so grateful that they are safe.
— U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) October 20, 2023
We will continue to do everything we can to unite all hostages with their loved ones. pic.twitter.com/rp1YDtB8Zu
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there are still 10 Americans who remain unaccounted for after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
"We know that some of them are being held hostage by Hamas," Blinken told a briefing for reporters.
President Joe Biden in a statement thanked Qatar and Israel for their partnership in securing the pair's release.
.@SecBlinken delivers remarks on the release of two American citizens who Hamas held hostage since October 7. pic.twitter.com/BvP61N3OQ8
— Department of State (@StateDept) October 20, 2023
