Hollywood actress and longtime humanitarian advocate Angelina Jolie visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing on Friday to draw attention to delays in delivering aid to Gaza.
Jolie, a former UNHCR special envoy, toured warehouses filled with medical supplies and other humanitarian aid that remain blocked from entering the enclave. She spoke with Egyptian Red Crescent workers, truck drivers, and volunteers, who said thousands of trucks are waiting at the border due to restrictions.
In a statement, Jolie stressed the urgency:
“The ceasefire must hold, and access must be sustained, safe and urgently scaled up so that aid, fuel, and critical medical supplies can move quickly and consistently. Winter items and essential medical equipment should move without delay.”
She also visited El Arish Hospital, where injured Palestinians evacuated from Gaza are receiving treatment, highlighting the human cost of the conflict and aid bottlenecks.
The visit comes as Gaza faces severe winter conditions, with flooding collapsing tents in displacement camps. At least 20 storm-related deaths have been reported, worsening an already critical humanitarian situation.
Aid organizations say warehouses are overflowing with blocked medical supplies, while thousands of trucks remain stalled. Israel says aid continues to enter through crossings like Kerem Shalom after security inspections and disputes claims of diversion by UN agencies.
Reactions to Jolie’s visit have been mixed. Supporters praised her for highlighting the struggles of refugees and aid workers, while critics accused the trip of having propagandistic undertones amid a polarized debate over aid access.
The Rafah crossing, a key lifeline for Gaza, remains largely closed despite ceasefire provisions calling for increased humanitarian flow. Jolie’s high-profile visit adds pressure for unrestricted aid access to prevent further deterioration of conditions in the territory.
