20 deputies refused entry to Gaza through Egypt — MP

AMMAN — Egypt has rejected a request from Jordan to allow 20 MPs to enter Gaza in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians who have been under ongoing Israeli aggression since early July, one of the deputies said on Monday.

However, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh will discuss the request with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukri on Tuesday, head of the Lower House’s Palestine Committee, MP Yihya Saud told The Jordan Times.

The Lower House approved last week a suggestion by the committee to send 20 lawmakers to Gaza to show solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli attack.

Egyptian authorities rejected the plan and informed the government it will not allow the delegation to enter Gaza via the Rafah border crossing.

The Egyptian authorities said they cannot guarantee the safety of the delegation, according to Saud, who noted that this justification is not valid, claiming that Egypt has accepted a similar request from another Arab country that sent a delegation to Gaza.

“We don’t want to go there for show; we would like to provide our brothers in Gaza with the minimum support in our hands through standing with them on the same front,” the deputy said. 

These actions are important at a time when the Gazans are left alone facing a “barbaric” attack that targets women and children, Saud added.