Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Angelina Jolie reaffirmed her support for the Palestinian people on Friday during a visit to Egypt’s North Sinai region, where she toured the Rafah border crossing with Gaza and inspected key humanitarian relief operations amid the ongoing crisis in the besieged enclave.
The American actress and longtime humanitarian advocate traveled to the cities of Al-Arish and Rafah alongside an American delegation, meeting Egyptian officials and aid workers involved in efforts to deliver assistance to Gaza. Jolie, a former United Nations Special Envoy for Refugees, was accompanied by Nabila Makram, head of the Technical Secretariat of Egypt’s National Alliance for Civil Development Action, and North Sinai Governor Khaled Megawer.
Speaking during her visit, Jolie said she was “honoured” to meet volunteers working under difficult conditions at the Rafah crossing, which has become a focal point of international concern as humanitarian supplies remain stalled. An Egyptian Red Crescent volunteer told her that thousands of aid trucks are currently waiting at the border, unable to enter Gaza despite the acute needs of its estimated 2.2 million residents.
Jolie’s visit focused on assessing both the humanitarian bottleneck at Rafah and the condition of Palestinians who have been transferred to Egypt for medical treatment. She toured logistics warehouses used to store aid bound for Gaza and reviewed Egypt’s coordination mechanisms for receiving, organizing and distributing relief supplies.
At Al-Arish General Hospital, Jolie met wounded Palestinians receiving care, highlighting the strain placed on medical facilities by the influx of patients from Gaza. Observers said the visit underscored Egypt’s role as a key humanitarian corridor and its efforts to support civilians affected by months of conflict and blockade.
The Rafah crossing was expected to reopen under the terms of a ceasefire brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States, which has been in effect since October. However, the crossing has remained closed, with Egyptian officials citing Israel’s refusal to allow movement in both directions, a move Cairo and others have described as a violation of the truce.
In a joint statement released on Friday, Egypt and seven other Arab and Muslim nations condemned Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian organizations operating in the occupied Palestinian territories. The statement urged the international community to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to lift barriers preventing the entry and distribution of essential supplies into Gaza.
During her tour, Jolie observed the role of the Egyptian Red Crescent, which serves as the national coordination body for aid deliveries to Gaza. Officials briefed her on transport logistics, cross-border coordination and the challenges posed by prolonged closures and security constraints.
Egyptian media framed Jolie’s visit as a reflection of Cairo’s humanitarian commitment and its efforts to mobilize international attention and cooperation to alleviate conditions in Gaza. The presence of a high-profile global figure, officials said, helps amplify calls for unrestricted humanitarian access and sustained international engagement.
Jolie has long been associated with refugee and displacement issues and has repeatedly voiced solidarity with Palestinians in public statements. Her visit to Rafah and Al-Arish adds to growing international scrutiny of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where aid agencies warn that delays in assistance are exacerbating shortages of food, medicine and basic services.
As diplomatic efforts continue to shore up the fragile ceasefire, Jolie’s appearance at the border highlighted both the scale of the humanitarian crisis and the political obstacles that continue to impede relief, leaving millions of civilians dependent on decisions made far beyond the crossing gates.
