criticism of Israel by voting to welcome Palestine as the newest member of the United Nations by voting in favor of United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19. That resolution made Palestine a non-member observer state just like the Vatican. During the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry published through its Facebook page a statement where it expressed its "deep concern" about the latest situation in the Gaza Strip and called for self-restraint as well as stopping the mutual violence. A Hamas official stated that Egypt is attempting to mediate a truce between both sides and that Egyptian officials have contacted Hamas for that purpose. Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry made a remarks following a meeting with his Jordanian counterpart where he said it is important to address the crisis in a manner that protects the Palestinians and their interests. On 11 July, the Foreign Ministry then criticized the IDF operation in Gaza as "oppressive policies of mass punishment. Egypt rejects the irresponsible Israeli escalation in the occupied Palestinian territory, which comes in the form of excessive and unnecessary use of military force leading to the death of innocent civilians." It also demanded Israel adopt self-restraint and to keep in mind that being an "occupation force", it has a legal and moral duty to protect civilian lives. The Egyptian government urged world powers to intervene and stop the crisis when it stated that its ceasefire efforts have been met with "obstinacy and stubbornness". The same day, Egypt informed authorities in Gaza that it closed the Rafah Border Crossing after re-opening it the previous day to receive injured Palestinians for medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals. This comes after Egyptian forces seized 20 Grad rockets being smuggled from Gaza to Sinai after clashing with militants in Rafah, Egypt. However, shortly after the closure, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ordered the Egyptian military to transport 500 tons of aid, which comprises food and medical supplies, to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. A statement was also released by the military saying that Egypt is pursuing its efforts to "stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip" under the president's supervision. De facto relations Beside that official communication, there are several observable elements that can help understanding the relations between Palestine and Egypt. One example is the Egypt–Gaza barrier, a wall built by Egypt to prevent crossing of Palestinians. The unique point of crossing, at Rafah, is