The situation of Moroccans stranded in Gaza has worsened following reports of Israeli plans to relocate the Rafah Crossing, and relentless bombings in the southern part of the sieged strip.
This comes as the Israeli army announced a military operation on Sunday to rescue hostages. Amidst these developments, those stranded fear their evacuation process may be hindered.
A group of Moroccans near the Rafah Crossing tolf Hespress that the situation has escalated in recent days due to Israeli threats, coupled with ongoing delays in the passage of the fifth batch of evacuees.
The Rafah Crossing has become a focal point of accusations between Tel Aviv and Cairo which rejected plans to relocate the crossing closer to the Kerem Shalom Crossing.
Egypt also refuted claims by the U.S. President Joe Biden that Egypt’s actions were responsible for the closure of the crossing, not Israel.
Following the Israeli military operation on Sunday, questions were raised as to whether Tel Aviv has already begun enacting its plans to invade Rafah City, especially as it is being accused by Israeli media of harboring Hamas members within tunnels in the area.
Moroccan authorities successfully facilitated the passage of the fourth batch of evacuees earlier this month.
However, with recent threats in the southern city of Gaza, remaining stranded Moroccans anxiously await their fate.
One stranded Moroccan, Abada Al Maqoussi, told Hespress that “the situation gets worse day by day, and we are now faced with a real danger every minute.”
Al Maqoussi added that those stranded have been disappointed by the lack of communication from Moroccan authorities. Despite submitting their passports since the fifth day of the war, they have yet to receive any response.
Al Maqoussi shared his daily attempts to communicate with the Moroccan embassy in Ramallah, receiving the same response since the start of the war: “Hello, we have sent your names, and we are waiting for a response from the relevant party.”
“The financial situation is deteriorating. Without some savings, my family and I wouldn’t have survived during this period,” Al Maqoussi further added.
He particularly emphasized the plight of his father, who suffers from heart disease and cannot afford his medication.
“The Israeli threats on Rafah City, especially on the crossing, raise our fears of the possibility of hindering the evacuation process,” said another stranded Moroccan, who chose not to disclose his identity.
The same speaker added that he and his family “have been registered on the Moroccan embassy’s website in Ramallah since October, in the asylum seekers section. We communicate with them daily, but the response has not changed.”
The stranded Moroccan explained that “permissions for Moroccan nationals are released once a month, unlike other nationalities whose permissions are released weekly.”
He pointed out that “the Moroccan delegate arrives at the crossing every month, ensures the passage of children and women first, without permissions, and then informs the rest to wait.”
The same speaker further added that “When we contact the Rabat embassy in Cairo, they tell us that the response is with Morocco’s embassy in Ramallah. When we communicate with the latter, we receive the same response since the beginning of the war.”
“The situation is difficult, and we hear bombings in Rafah. We demand expedited evacuation before this crossing ends, which would obstruct our passage.”
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