Algeria's Tebboune says army ready to build hospitals in Gaza once Egypt border reopens
The Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared that the North African country's military was ready to enter Gaza to build three hospitals within 20 days once the border with Egypt would reopen.
Speaking Sunday during an election rally, Tebboune vowed to also send hundreds of doctors to the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave and "help rebuild what the Zionists destroyed".
Tebboune, who is running for a second presidential term in an election slated for 7 September, was speaking to supporters in the city of Constantine.
"Palestine is not the issue of the Palestinians only, it is our issue too," Tebboune told the crowd.
"Some say this cohesion between Palestine and Algeria is meaningless in light of the distance. [But] we are not far, the distance is only geographical, the hearts are with each other," he added.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip, the Rafah crossing, has been shuttered since Israeli troops invaded it in May.
Its closure has blocked the entry of life-saving aid to the besieged and battered Strip.
Local authorities in Gaza said this week the closure had contributed to the death of 1,000 Palestinians, whose lives would have been saved by humanitarian aid or evacuations.
There are currently 25,000 sick and wounded Palestinians who need to leave Gaza for urgent treatment, the Gaza government media office said.
Health officials have repeatedly pleaded to the international community to immediately build field hospitals in Gaza since almost all hospitals have been either destroyed or damaged by the Israeli military.
Israeli forces have also killed and arrested hundreds of Palestinian doctors.
Lebanon fuel
Separately on Sunday, Algeria announced it would immediately supply Lebanon, which has been under Israeli attacks for more than 10 months, with fuel for its power plants.
The decision came a day after Lebanon's electricity company said it had run out of fuel.
A nationwide blackout has been in place, affecting airports, water pumping stations and other services.
Algeria, which has been serving a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council since 2023, has been a strong critic of Israel's conduct in both Gaza and Lebanon.
The North African state, a long-time supporter of the Palestinian cause, brought several resolutions to the council since the Israeli war on Gaza began, calling for a ceasefire and condemning Israel, which were vetoed by the United States.
Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza since 7 October, including at least 16,000 children and 7,000 women, according to local health authorities. The death toll is likely much higher, with more than 10,000 missing and presumed dead.
On 7 October, a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed more than 1,100 Israelis, including over 300 women and 30 children, according to Israeli authorities. More than 250 others were taken captive back to the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israeli forces have also killed at least 632 Palestinians since the war began, including 147 children and nine women, according to the health ministry.
In Lebanon, Israeli attacks since October have killed at least 547 people, including 35 women and 20 children and teenagers, according to Lebanon's health ministry.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
