Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister said on Tuesday Egypt must be "persuaded" to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to "allow the continued delivery of international humanitarian aid."

Israel Katz said in a statement, "the key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is now in the hands of our Egyptian friends," adding foreign critics blaming Israel for the humanitarian situation in the strip are misguided. He also said the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas will "not control the Rafah crossing – this is a security necessity on which we will not compromise."