Palestinian ambassador in Cairo advocates for temporary residency permits for Gazans in Egypt who have fled war

The Palestinian Embassy in Egypt is asking the Egyptian government to grant temporary residency permits for the roughly 100,000 Gazans who have escaped the conflict and crossed the border into Egypt, according to Reuters.  

The permits would allow the refugees access to schools and healthcare along with the ability to open bank accounts and start businesses. 

 "We are talking about a category (of people) in an exceptional situation. We asked the state to give them temporary residencies that can be renewed until the crisis in Gaza is over," Diab al-Louh, the Palestinian ambassador in Cairo, told Reuters.

Louh said the recent arrivals have no plans to permanently settle in Egypt. 

Egypt has had a long-standing policy of not permitting the resettlement of Palestinians within its borders.  It, and other Arab states, don’t want a repeat of the “Nakba”, when roughly 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the Arab-Israeli War in 1948. Palestinians also reject being resettled in foreign countries. 

It remains exceedingly difficult for Gazans to cross into Egypt via the Rafah border. Only those with medical needs, foreign citizenships or the ability to pay exorbitant fees to “travel agencies” can leave Gaza. Those leaving also need security clearance from Egyptian and Israeli officials. 

The embassy’s ability to help Gazans in Egypt has reportedly been hampered by a lack of funds and staff. The Palestinian Authority (PA) says it has seen a drop in international donations. It also no longer receives tax revenues from Gazans. Since November, Israel has been withholding those tax revenues, which would ordinarily be given to the PA.