Online Reporter
Emmanuel Kafe
Herald Reporter
EGYPT’S Foreign Ministry has moved to counter what it calls “deliberate misrepresentations” of its role in humanitarian operations for Gaza, issuing a detailed rebuttal of 10 “false claims” in an infographic published on Thursday on its official Facebook page.
The ministry stressed that Egypt has provided 70 percent of the total humanitarian aid that has entered Gaza since the beginning of the war, hosted high-level summits on Gaza’s reconstruction, and treated “hundreds of injured and sick Palestinians in Egyptian hospitals”.
It accused critics of ignoring “the complete Israeli blockade on Gaza” and the fact that “the Israeli army occupied the Palestinian side of the crossing and completely prevented the passage of individuals and trucks.”
Cairo also rejected accusations that it has joined Israel’s blockade.
“The Israeli occupation army completely besieges the Gaza Strip by land, sea and air and controls all entry points into the Strip,” said Egypt.
It stressed that there are several other crossings besides Rafah, “all of which are fully controlled by Israel” and that “those who claim that Egypt is responsible . . . should demand pressure on Israel to open all the crossings it controls.”
On claims that Egypt restricts solidarity with Gaza, the ministry noted it has “organised and facilitated visits to the Rafah and Arish crossings” for international officials including the UN Secretary-General and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Ministry said demonstrations outside Egyptian embassies “serve the Israeli occupation entirely, offering it a free gift” and divert attention from the crimes the Palestinian people are suffering.
“No country in the world has made as much effort or sacrifice for the Palestinian cause as Egypt,” said the Foreign Ministry.
It pointed to hosting the Cairo Peace Summit and Arab summits, preparing a “comprehensive plan for the reconstruction of Gaza”, and playing a leading role in coordinating Arab, Islamic and international action on the Palestinian issue.
On famine claims, it said: “Bringing in the largest possible amount of aid is a top priority for Egypt… to ensure an end to Israeli displacement plans and attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause by forcing the Palestinian people to leave their land.”
Cairo warned that “deliberate attempts to systematically distort and cast doubt on the Egyptian role” aim to “undermine Egypt’s role, frustrate the Arab peoples, create divisions among them, and weaken Palestinian resilience.”
