At the Gaza-Egypt border's Rafah crossing, thousands of migrants come

 At the Gaza-Egypt border's Rafah crossing, thousands of migrants come

As diplomatic attempts to open the border crossing at Rafah with Egypt continue, thousands of civilians from Gaza have congregated there in anticipation of Israel's anticipated ground attack.

The United Nations, however, said that the talks to restore the bridge had not made any forward.

Israel is accused of "not cooperating" by Cairo.

All exit points from Gaza are blocked off as Israel keeps up its airstrikes in retaliation for the assault by Hamas on October 7.

The second time in less than a week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken came in Israel on Monday.

After visiting six Arab nations in the area, he came back to try to pressure the government to reopen the border crossing so that humanitarian supplies could enter and foreign passport holders could be evacuated.

Mr. Blinken and James Cleverly, the foreign secretary of the United Kingdom, both said that they were working with Israel, Egypt, as well as "other leading political voices throughout the region" to reopen the bridge.

In response to the deadly Hamas attack upon Israel last week, during and that militants raided communities, abducted civilians and soldiers, and killed a little over 1,400 people, the Israeli military ordered a blockade about Gaza and cut off the supply of water, food, as well as fuel before launching a wave of air strikes.

Why is Gaza's lifeblood the Rafah crossing? What is it?

Following news that there might be a temporary truce on Monday, throngs of people flocked to the Rafah border on Monday morning.

Immediately after any such agreement was reported, both Israel and Hamas rejected it.

Later, a BBC reporter in southern Gaza reported that an air attack had struck the vicinity of the crossing, destroying both the road and a structure on the Palestinian side of the border.

A strike on the bridge on Monday seemed to be seen in video analysis by BBC Verify.

Since it started its air assault against Gaza, Israel has at least three times bombed the region around the Rafah crossing point.

The Israeli embargo on other access routes to the region held by Hamas continues, leaving the bridge as the sole feasible route out of Gaza.

As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, dozens of trucks bringing gasoline and emergency supplies stay on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border, waiting for authorization to enter.

According to Israel, the siege won't end until Hamas releases the captives it kidnapped on October 7 from Israel. Israeli authorities now think 199 persons are detained in Gaza, up from their prior estimate of 155.

Since the Hamas attack, over 2,750 people have perished in Gaza and more than one million have been displaced.

The UK thinks the Gaza-Egypt border crossing should reopen.

Egypt's foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, said on Monday morning that it was necessary to ease the suffering of Palestinian residents in Gaza and noted that negotiations with Israel had been unsuccessful.

Cairo has been concentrating on providing supplies to Gaza for people. According to Mr. Shoukry, Egypt might permit medical evacuations and admit select Gazans with travel authorization.

Many nations, including the US and the UK, have advised their nationals to go to the Rafah border in preparation for its potential reopening.

Egypt is ready to reopen the Rafah gate so that those with foreign passports may leave and humanitarian supplies can enter, but it is afraid of a huge flood of Palestinian refugees escaping the conflict.

This would be intolerable, according to Egypt and other Arab nations, since it would amount to the displacement of Palestinians from their homeland.