Angelina Jolie visits the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing to meet Palestinian refugees and aid workers

Actress Angelina Jolie visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing into Gaza on Friday, accompanied by a US delegation. Officials greeted the Hollywood icon and former special envoy of the UN refugee agency, and she spoke with aid workers and volunteers.

Local media reported that the purpose of the visit was to meet with wounded Palestinians receiving care in Egypt and to review aid deliveries to Gaza. The News reported that Jolie spoke with patients at a hospital in the nearby city of Arish.

In Rafah, Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent humanitarian aid nonprofit and with truckers responsible for transporting humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Oscar winner said she felt “honored” to meet the volunteers.

The Rafah border crossing was to be reopened under the ceasefire in force in Gaza. since octoberbut until now it has remained closed. In a joint statement on Friday, Egypt and six other countries, including Saudi Arabia, “urged the international community to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately lift restrictions on the entry and distribution of essential supplies” to Gaza.

In early December, Israel announced that the Rafah crossing would open only to those wishing to leave Gaza, prompting Cairo to quickly deny that it had approved such a move. Egypt opposes to the Palestinian refugees who settle within its borders.

Israel has said it will only allow Palestinians to leave Gaza, not enter, until Hamas militants in the territory return all hostages taken on October 7, 2023. remains of a hostage They are still in Gaza.

Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began, 416 people have been killed and 1,142 wounded in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. The total number of Palestinian deaths from the war is at least 71,271.

Jolie, one of the most emblematic figures in Hollywood, resigned from his role As special envoy for the United Nations refugee agency in late 2022 after more than 20 years of service, she said she wanted to work on broader humanitarian issues. The actor met with refugees in yemen and Survivors of the missile attack in Ukraine in 2022.