THIS EVENING: Foreign Ministry calls for safe passage of humanitarian aid to Palestine

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and a very happy THURSDAY. We’re just about ready to slide into a very well-deserved weekend following a busy (to say the least) few days.

THE BIG STORY TODAY

The government is set to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid into Palestine, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement today, stressing that the Rafah border remains open despite Israel’s airstrikes on the Palestinian side of the crossing. All aid organizations looking to provide emergency and humanitarian aid to Palestine should direct their shipments to North Sinai’s Arish airport, and Egyptian authorities will take responsibility for delivering the aid across the Rafah border into Gaza, according to the statement. Meanwhile, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said on X that the country will not make exceptions for aid to pass through to Gaza until Israeli hostages are freed, while hospitals in Palestine are running dangerously low on fuel, Reuters reports.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to take precedence in the international press this afternoon.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel today, where he underlined Washington’s support for Israel but urged the nation to take a democratic approach as they exact their retribution, the Financial Times reports. Blinken’s arrival in Israel came as Saudi Arabia and Iran’s leaders spoke for the first time in years to have their own discussion about the ongoing conflict, as they consider themselves the key regional powers at play. Meanwhile, Reuters looks at the devastating humanitarian impact Israel’s continued siege on Palestine has had on the local population, while Bloomberg takes note of the impact the conflict will have on global economic growth.

** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:

• Our IMF loan review will come before the end of the year, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said without elaborating further.
• Egypt has rejected proposals to establish a safe corridor into Sinai for Palestinians fleeing Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza.
• We might be getting fresh funding for our second high-speed rail line: The Madbouly government has opened talks with international lenders for a USD 2.1 bn soft loan to help fund the second phase of the 2k km high-speed rail line between Sixth October and Abu Simbel.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Expect the mercury to rise to a high of 31°C in the daytime and drop to a low of 24°C in the evening, according to our favorite weather app.