A few Finns are still waiting at the Rafah border crossing to get out of Gaza to the Egyptian side. Yesterday’s promise about the possibility for foreigners to cross the border was cancelled.
A few Finns are still waiting to get out of Gaza at the Rafah border crossing near the Egyptian border.
– The Rafah border on the Egyptian side is still closed. Yesterday we had information from the Israeli authorities that the border would be opened for five hours for foreign citizens to leave, but unfortunately the Israeli authorities then announced that the opening of the border on Saturday had been completely cancelled, says the ambassador Päivi Peltokoski.
He is the head of Finland’s Ramallah liaison office in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza.
– Now we are waiting for new information from both the Israeli and Egyptian authorities, whether the border can possibly be opened today. And if not today, will we get other time estimates, Peltokoski says
“Ordinary Finns”
According to Peltokoski, the Finns stuck in Gaza are ordinary citizens, live permanently in Finland and have been on a private trip to Gaza. They are not there for work or, for example, in the tasks of an aid organization.
– They want to return to Finland to their own home. I have no idea how long they have been in Gaza.
According to Peltokoski, the Finns waiting to get out in Rafah are taking the situation calmly.
– But the worry is intense, because there is uncertainty about when you can get out of there. And since all areas of Gaza have been bombed, there is no certainty about the safety of the Rafah area. There is concern about the sufficiency of food, safety and when they will be able to return to Finland via Cairo.
According to Peltokoski, there are currently a huge number of people waiting to leave at the border crossing point in Rafah. They have spent the night there on the streets and who where. Peltokoski does not know where the Finns have spent the night.
– At the moment, the temperature is still summer in Gaza. It might make it easier to spend the night outside, but the biggest problem is of course that the water starts to run out, the food starts to run out and there is no electricity.