Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has denied he initially opposed allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing until US President Joe Biden convinced him otherwise, Al Jazeera reports.

“From the first moment [of Israel’s invasion of Gaza], Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing from its side without any restrictions or conditions and has mobilised massive humanitarian aid and relief,” he said in a statement.

Biden earlier took credit for convincing El-Sisi — whom he mistakenly called the president of Mexico — to open the Rafah crossing for aid. “I talked to him. I convinced him to open the gate,” Biden said at a news conference.

At the start of the conflict, Israel banned the entry of food, water, fuel and other supplies into Gaza, pledging to let nothing in until Hamas released captives it took on October 7. Israel forced the closure of the Rafah crossing by bombarding the Palestinian side repeatedly.

International relief agencies have constantly pleaded for more aid to be allowed in, complaining delivery is hobbled by the opening of too few border crossings, a slow Israeli vetting process for trucks, and continuing fighting.