Hollywood actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie on Friday visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing into Gaza, where she met with aid workers and truck drivers involved in delivering humanitarian supplies, AFP journalists reported.
Jolie, who was accompanied by an American delegation, spoke with members of the Egyptian Red Crescent and volunteers working at the border. She was also received by current and former Egyptian officials during the visit.
Speaking at the crossing, the actress said she was “honoured” to meet aid workers operating under difficult conditions. A Red Crescent volunteer told her that thousands of aid trucks are currently waiting at the border, unable to enter Gaza.
According to local media, Jolie’s visit focused on assessing the condition of injured Palestinians transferred to Egypt and reviewing the challenges facing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Neither Jolie nor Egyptian authorities have officially commented on the visit.
The Rafah crossing, which was expected to reopen under a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, has remained closed despite ongoing humanitarian needs.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, Egypt and six other countries, including Saudi Arabia, called on the international community to pressure Israel to immediately lift restrictions on the entry and distribution of essential aid into Gaza.
Earlier in December, Israel said the Rafah crossing would be opened only for people leaving Gaza, a claim Egypt later denied approving.
Jolie stepped down as Special Envoy for the United Nations Refugee Agency in 2022 after more than two decades of service, saying she wanted to focus on broader humanitarian efforts.
