Rep. Blake Moore encourages Egyptian authorities to fast-track aid for Gaza refugees

Utah Republican Rep. Blake Moore led over 100 House colleagues in sending a letter to Egypt’s U.S. ambassador to ask that they facilitate the passage of humanitarian aid and refugees through Egypt’s border with Gaza.

The letter, originating in Moore’s office, and signed by Utah Rep. John Curtis, and 105 other Republicans and Democrats, condemns the brutal attack carried out by the Gazan terrorist organization Hamas against Israel on Oct. 7 and urges Egypt to work with the United States and Israel “to establish and maintain safe zones in southern Gaza, with humanitarian access corridors,” as Palestinians attempt to flee Israeli airstrikes and an impending ground operation in the north.

“The reason I want to take the initiative is because this is one of the most important aspects of the next (stage) of this conflict,” Moore said in an interview with the Deseret News. “I felt like it was something that I could have some influence on to encourage Egypt to do everything that they could.”

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Moore said he supports Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas after the terror group invaded the country and killed at least 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, and kidnapped around 200 hostages. The stated goal of Hamas is to “kill Jews,” Moore says.

But he also recognizes that Israel’s military operations in Gaza will inevitably include civilian casualties, considering the area’s high population density and Hamas’ tactic of hiding its members and weapons in places like hospitals, schools and mosques.

“Israel needs to protect itself against current and potential Hamas threats,” Moore said. “So whatever I can do, whatever Congress can do, whatever the United States can do, to make sure we keep as many innocent civilian lives out of harm’s way, is a key aspect of the next phase of what’s going on.”

Hamas putting civilians in harms way

Gaza’s health ministry, which is overseen by Hamas, reports that more than 2,500 Palestinians have been killed since Israeli air strikes targeting Hamas compounds began.

Moore believes Israel is doing all it can to avoid civilian casualties, despite Hamas’ disregard for the people it claims to represent.

“Hamas, as they’ve entrenched themselves, they have shown that they don’t care about the Palestinian Authority, they don’t care about the Palestinian plight, they use them as human shields, and no one disputes this. So, this is a very, very difficult situation for everybody,” Moore said.

The joint letter outlines “Israel’s right to defend itself, take necessary measures in support of its national security, and rescue the nearly 200 hostages currently being held in Gaza” and condemns Hamas for disregarding “international humanitarian law and the rules of war by intentionally targeting civilians, taking hostages, using human shields, and embedding their fighters in civilian communities with utter disregard for their welfare.”

Hamas has actively prevented Gaza residents from heeding Israeli warnings to leave their homes in northern Gaza and has prevented refugees from leaving the country through the Rafah Border Crossing to Egypt, the letter says.

To mitigate the humanitarian disaster resulting from these conditions, the letter’s 107 signatories call on the Egyptian government to support the creation of safe zones in southern Gaza and enable the flow of humanitarian assistance through Egypt to southern Gaza.

What are Egypt and Israel doing to help Gazan refugees?

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Israel had agreed to create safe zones for Gazan refugees in the very southern portion of the region. And on Wednesday, Israeli authorities said they would allow international aid to enter Gaza from Egypt, according to The New York Times. However, Egypt has not announced whether it will allow the border crossing in Rafah to open, the report says.

Israel, Egypt and Gaza share a fraught history, and Egyptian authorities have recently expressed anger toward Israel for its military operations in Gaza and its calls for Gazans to head towards the Egyptian border, Axios reports.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has rejected any solution that involves “the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land, which would come at the expense of the countries of the region,” according to Fox News.

Moore, who represents Utah’s 1st Congressional District, said he had a “very thoughtful conversation” with Egyptian Ambassador Motaz Zahran two days ago, where he realized the extent to which Egyptian authorities agreed on the need for humanitarian aid.

Zahran also emphasized the importance of “deescalation” in the conflict. But Moore said Israel has a right to wage war until something “fundamentally” changes with Hamas.

“Otherwise this will just happen again and again and again,” he said. “And while Hamas still holds hostages, Israel has the right to defend themselves and secure their people.”