German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Egypt on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Scholz said he wanted to support Egypt's efforts to mediate the conflict and discussed opening a humanitarian corridor to Gaza as quickly as possible. The German chancellor said he wants to alleviate the consequences of the conflict between Israel and Hamas — which is deemed a terrorist group by Germany, the United States and the European Union — during a visit to Egypt on Wednesday. After meeting with President el-Sissi, Scholz pledged to help free hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas as well as to help humanitarian aid reach Palestinians in Gaza.

Gaza's border crossing with Egypt, the only one connecting the Gaza Strip to a country other than Israel, could become the sole lifeline for people living in the Palestinian territory — if it were opened. Hundreds of trucks loaded with medicine, food, water and humanitarian aid are waiting on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, which joins the far south of the Gaza Strip with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), supplies for up to 300,000 people are ready to enter any time. The aid is urgently needed, the WHO stressed on Tuesday, as Israel's siege of Gaza has capped water, food and fuel supplies. Egypt is unwilling to open its border crossing to Gaza despite the escalating situation. In the run-up to Egyptian elections, fears over permanent resettlement outweigh global pressure and humanitarian concerns.

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