Egypt rejected an American request to open corridors for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip towards Egyptian territory in Sinai, according to the Associated Press, quoting a senior Egyptian official, whose name it did not mention.

The official said: “If they (the United States) care about civilians, they should pressure their close ally (Israel) to stop bombing civilians and end the blockade (of Gaza), to allow aid and fuel to enter.”

The official added that “convoys loaded with fuel and food stopped, on Wednesday, on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, but were unable to enter Gaza,” as the only crossing between Egypt and Gaza had been closed on Tuesday, after Israeli air strikes.

He pointed out that “Egypt is holding talks with Israel and the United States regarding establishing safe corridors inside Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinians.”

Earlier, Thursday, the American website “Axios” said, “The United States is engaged with Egypt in an attempt to open a safe passage to evacuate foreigners from the Gaza Strip.”

The officials explained to the American website, “Israel and Egypt agreed in principle to establish a safe corridor for the exit of Americans and other foreign nationals from the Strip, but they stressed that practical implementation may be very difficult because it will require some kind of ceasefire.”

The website stated, “There are more than 500 American citizens and hundreds of other foreign nationals in Gaza, including United Nations employees, members of non-governmental organizations, and journalists,” noting that “the closure of the border crossings with Israel and Egypt, and the ongoing Israeli air strikes , making it virtually impossible to leave Gaza. The expected Israeli ground operation would make the matter more difficult.”

On Thursday, the United Nations announced that more than 338,000 people were forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to heavy Israeli bombing since the beginning of Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood.”