Actress Angelina Jolie arrived Friday for a visit to the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing as part of a ‘humanitarian tour’ for residents of the Gaza Strip. Arab media reported that Jolie was accompanied by a representative from the US State Department and the governor of Egypt’s North Sinai province. According to reports in Egypt, she came to “examine aid options and the al-Arish hospital.”
The Hollywood star has been involved in humanitarian work for many years, previously serving as a goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and receiving awards and honors for her efforts. Her father, actor Jon Voight, is a vocal supporter of Israel. During the visit, Jolie spoke with Red Cross personnel at the Rafah Crossing and with aid truck drivers.
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Angelina Jolie visits the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing
(Photo: Ali Moustafa/Getty Images)
However, at the start of the war, Jolie criticized Israel and its decision to strike Gaza following the October 7 massacre. In a November 2023 post, she described the strikes as the intentional bombing of a population with no means of escape, calling Gaza an open-air prison turning into a mass grave.
According to reports, Egypt’s migration minister and a former minister also took part in Jolie’s visit to the Rafah Crossing, which may reopen soon for the first time since Israel took control of the area during the Rafah operation. Egyptian media reported that the North Sinai governor said the Rafah Crossing has remained open on the Egyptian side and has not been closed since January 2023. He claimed Israel was the party that closed the crossing from its side.
Israel has recently said it is prepared to open the crossing on one side, but that Egypt has raised obstacles and refused to allow Gazans to pass through it. The governor also said, according to the reports, that Egyptian authorities are on high alert to receive wounded Palestinians, who are being treated in hospitals across Egypt.