“The border with Egypt has been closed again”. The passage between the countries is open only a few hours a day and they give priority flow to the wounded.

That is what happened today, explained on the social network X the chief minister of the Government’s Social Communication Secretariat, Paulo Pimenta.

He reaffirmed that President Luiz Inacio Laula da Silva and the Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, ‘are still active in phone calls with authorities from Egypt, Palestine and Israel and we remain attentive, giving all the support to the group, which is hosted by a team of our government’.

Speaking to the press, Vieira assured Friday that his portfolio continues with the steps to repatriate 34 citizens from Gaza, where they have been waiting for weeks to cross to Egypt.

He acknowledged that the repatriation was not possible the day before and not this Friday, but could be completed by the end of the week.

The opening of the border for the evacuation of civilians, he explained, depends on multiple factors and countless issues, which are negotiated by Brazil and other countries with Israel and Egypt.

Foreign civilians who want to leave Gaza, due to Israel’s conflict with the military wing of the Palestinian movement Hamas, are concentrated in the south of the Strip, at the Rafah crossing, the only viable exit and border with Egypt.

The crossing is not open to all. A list has been prepared by the authorities in the region since November 1 to determine who can leave and on what day. So far, the group of Brazilians (34 people) did not receive authorization.

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