Hundreds throng Rafah border crossing amid intense Israeli strikes in Gaza

RAFAH, GAZA, PALESTINE - OCTOBER 14: Hundreds of Gazans holding foreign passports gathered at the Rafah Border Crossing on Saturday (Oct. 14) waiting to cross Egypt as intense Israeli bombing continues in the enclave for the 8th consecutive day. On Thursday (Oct. 12) Egypt urged Israel to avoid attacking the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow for repairs and restoration after Israeli airstrikes affected operations on the Palestinian side. “Rafah border crossing is open and has not been closed since the start of the ongoing escalation,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman wrote on X. “However, its facilities on the Palestinian side have been destroyed due to Israeli airstrikes, which affected its operations.” He said: “Egypt calls Israel to avoid targeting the Palestinian side of the crossing point, to allow the repair and restoration.” The statement encouraged the international community, governments and non-governmental organizations to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza as part of their humanitarian moral responsibility in response to the suffering under continuous Israeli airstrikes, according to the statement. The number of Palestinians killed by a massive Israeli air assault against the Gaza Strip has risen to 2,215, the Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday. In a statement, the ministry said that 724 children and 458 women were among the people killed in the Israeli attacks. The ministry also said that the number of wounded has risen to 8,714, including 2,450 children and 1,536 women. (Footage by Hani Alshaer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)