Angelina Jolie visits Rafah crossing as Israel threatens to suspend Gaza aid operations

Hollywood actor and humanitarian Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah crossing, a key entry point for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, on Friday, amid Israel’s announcement to suspend the operations of aid organisations working in the Gaza Strip, citing that they have not renewed their registration.

Jolie, who serves as a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was seen meeting aid workers and drivers at the crossing, where convoys are waiting to enter Gaza amid stringent controls and heightening tensions. “I spoke to humanitarian agencies who are working hard to do their best to overcome the restrictions and challenges of delivering necessary aid into Gaza. I walked through a large warehouse that was full of items that were denied entry, most of them medical,” Jolie said in a statement, according to CNN.

Jolie’s visit comes amid a backdrop of escalating tensions in and around Gaza, where aid shipments have been paused at times due to security concerns, administrative hurdles, and disagreements between relevant authorities. The Rafah crossing, the main land route into Gaza from Egypt, remains one of the few lifelines for aid entering the densely populated enclave.

During her visit, Jolie also met with aid workers from the Egyptian Red Crescent and other local organizations to discuss how to provide additional aid to Gaza.

“What needs to happen is clear: 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, at the volume required,” Jolie said in a statement.

“Winter items and essential medical equipment should move without delay. Every day of disruption costs lives,” she added. Jolie expressed gratitude to the volunteers working to provide humanitarian assistance. She also met Palestinian and Sudanese refugee families in Egypt, her office said.

Earlier this week, Israel announced that it would suspend the work of international aid organisations that failed to renew their registrations, a process that now requires groups operating in Gaza to submit personal details of their staff.

Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly raised concerns about the new requirements, warning that sharing such information could put their employees at risk.

The move comes at a time when 10 countries have cautioned that Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is showing signs of “renewed deterioration,” with conditions in the enclave described as “catastrophic.”

Israeli authorities have said the registration rules are intended to prevent Hamas from exploiting humanitarian assistance. However, the United Nations and multiple aid organisations have disputed the claim. A US government review conducted earlier this year found no evidence of widespread diversion of aid by Hamas, allegations previously cited by both Israel and the US State Department.