Egypt's Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met French Ambassador to Cairo Eric Chevallier on Tuesday to coordinate humanitarian and medical aid for Gaza and discuss rebuilding the enclave's health sector. The meeting occurred as the Rafah border crossing reopened, serving as Gaza's main humanitarian lifeline amid ongoing hostilities. Both sides committed to expanding cooperation to address urgent medical needs.
Egypt's Health Ministry stated that the meeting between Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar and Ambassador Eric Chevallier focused on assessing Gaza's urgent medical needs and developing mechanisms for the swift delivery of humanitarian and medical supplies. Abdel Ghaffar expressed appreciation for the French government's early and consistent support of Egypt's humanitarian efforts, noting that France was among the first countries to assist Cairo in delivering aid to Gaza.
The minister reaffirmed Egypt's readiness to work closely with France to provide life-saving assistance and contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza's damaged healthcare infrastructure. Both sides agreed to expand field hospitals in Egypt's Rafah city to accommodate more patients and strengthen emergency response capacity through the deployment of advanced, fully equipped ambulances.
They also discussed ensuring adequate supplies of blood, medicines, and skilled medical teams, while maintaining joint Egyptian-French efforts to sustain humanitarian relief operations for Palestinians. Ambassador Chevallier reiterated France's commitment to supporting Gaza, praising Egypt's leadership in coordinating and facilitating aid deliveries. He added that French delegations would continue visiting the region to assess conditions on the ground and prepare joint reports with Egyptian authorities on the humanitarian situation.