Egypt's Blockade of Gaza

by Khaled Abu Toameh
May 29, 2015 at 5:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5847/gaza-blockade

Translations of this item:

Since the beginning of this year, the Egyptians have opened the Rafah border crossing for five days only. The international community and media often talk about Israel's responsibility for the ongoing blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, while ignoring that the Egyptians have been imposing severe travel restrictions on the 1.7 million Palestinians living there.
"We understand Egypt's security concerns in Sinai, but it's time for the Egyptians to reopen the border crossing on a permanent basis, especially in light of the historic relations between Egypt and Palestine." — Salah Abdel Ati, Palestinian human rights activist
It is shameful for the Egyptians and other Arabs that, while they are imposing various restrictions on Palestinians, Israel is helping patients from the Gaza Strip undergo surgery in Jerusalem. Ironically, the frustration and bitterness eventually translate into violence against Israel, not Egypt. The Palestinians are well aware that attacking Egypt would draw a very strong response from the Egyptian military.
Instead of pointing the finger of blame at Israel, it is time for the international media and community to put pressure on Egypt and other Arab countries to help their Palestinian brethren and to stop torturing and humiliating them.

Yussra al-Najjar, a 65-year-old woman from the Gaza Strip, died this week while waiting to return from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. She and hundreds of Palestinians had been stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing for the past few months.

Al-Najjar is the tenth Palestinian to die while waiting for the Egyptians to reopen the Rafah terminal. Her relatives said she lost consciousness while waiting inside the travelers' hall on the Egyptian side of the border and was rushed to an Egyptian hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The story of the Palestinian woman who passed away after being banned from by the Egyptian authorities from returning home to the Gaza Strip is unlikely to make it to the pages of major Western newspapers. Her story would have won extensive media coverage had she been stranded on the Israeli side of the border for even one day.

But in this instance, al-Najjar was the victim of a months-long blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip by an Arab country, Egypt, and not Israel.

The Egyptians claim that they actually saved her life by quickly transferring her to an Egyptian hospital for first aid. They said that afterwards she was moved to a hospital inside the Gaza Strip.

This claim, however, did not stop some Palestinian media outlets from reporting that the "Egyptians killed an elderly Palestinian woman."

Since the beginning of this year, the Egyptians have opened the Rafah border crossing for five days only.

This week, in a surprise move, the Egyptians reopened the Rafah terminal for three days, to allow Palestinians stranded on the Egyptian side of the border to return to their homes inside the Gaza Strip. Still, Palestinians were not permitted to use the terminal to leave the Gaza Strip. These include students who are studying in various universities around the world and laborers working mostly in Arab countries.

The international media and community often talk about Israel's responsibility for the ongoing blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, while ignoring that the Egyptians have been imposing severe travel restrictions on the 1.7 million Palestinians living there.

The tough Egyptian measures include the closure of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt -- a policy that has left thousands of Palestinian travellers stranded on the Egyptian side of the terminal for the past three months.

Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians have been unable to leave the Gaza Strip for several months due to the continued closure of the Rafah border crossing by the Egyptian authorities.

In addition to the students and laborers, there are more than 3,500 Palestinian patients in the Gaza Strip who have been waiting for many months to cross the terminal to receive medical treatment in Egypt and other Arab countries.

Egypt's continued closure of the Rafah terminal has failed to attract the attention of many Western journalists covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some of the journalists say they are unable to report about the plight of the Palestinian travellers stranded on the Egyptian side of the border because the Egyptian authorities will not allow them to reach the area. Other journalists find it easier to cover the story from the Israeli side, which allows them to put the onus of the blockade on Israel.

Palestinian human rights activist Salah Abdel Ati said that Egypt's continued closure of the Rafah border crossing was a form of collective punishment against the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. "The Rafah terminal is the only opening of the Gaza Strip to the outside world," he explained. "Its continued closure is a violation of human rights and causes grave suffering to thousands of people. We understand Egypt's security concerns in Sinai, but it's time for the Egyptians to reopen the border crossing on a permanent basis, especially in light of the historic relations between Egypt and Palestine."

While Egypt's security concerns may be justified, particularly in light of the war that the Egyptian authorities are waging against jihadi terrorists in Sinai, there is no reason why the Egyptians continue to prevent Palestinians from returning to their homes in the Gaza Strip. There is also no reason why the Egyptians are continuing to punish thousands of university students, laborers and patients in need of urgent medical treatment.

It is shameful for the Egyptians and other Arabs that, while they are imposing various forms of restrictions on Palestinians, Israel is helping patients from the Gaza Strip undergo surgery in Jerusalem.

The Egyptians are capable of checking every passenger entering or leaving the Gaza Strip the same way Israel does on its border with the Gaza Strip.

Egypt's keeping the Rafah border crossing shut only aggravates the humanitarian and economic crisis in the Gaza Strip. The irony is that the frustration and bitterness eventually translate into violence against Israel, and not Egypt. The Palestinians are well aware that attacking Egypt would draw a very strong response from the Egyptian army. Instead of pointing the finger of blame at Israel, it is time for the international media and community to put pressure on Egypt and other Arab countries to help their Palestinian brethren and to stop torturing and humiliating them.

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Related Topics: Egypt, Palestinian Authority

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Comment on this item

15 Reader Comments

Lon W. • Jun 6, 2015 at 02:56

The Arabs in Gaza allow Hamas free reign to represent them on the world stage. The Arabs in Gaza allow Hamas to operate without any form of checks and balances to enforce the citizen's will over Hamas as their governmental representatives on the world stage. Egypt doesn't want criminal extremism exported from Gaza into the sovereign nation of Egypt any more than the Israelis want extremism criminals exporting violence from the Arab territory of Gaza. It is very simple... the Arabs in Gaza have earned their exclusion from civilized nations.

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MikeKu • May 29, 2015 at 18:51

The double standard ensues. As the article notes, had the woman died on the Israeli side, the world would have been outraged.

On the Egyptian side, no problem. Look at the 100s of thousands of dead in the Syrian-Iraqi-Yemen debacle and imagine if Israel had been involved, the world would be beyond outrage and the UN would be meeting 24/7 to chastise, criticize and call for all kinds of actions against Israel.

The fact that Israel is treating injured from Syria and takes care of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank in our hospitals has little weight in the global rush to demonize the only democracy and altruistic country in the Middle East. It is a shame and a sham.

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Michael Fox • May 29, 2015 at 17:01

Hamas has its roots in the Muslim Brotherhood, an arch enemy of the Egyptian government. The Brotherhood is illegal in Egypt and considered a terrorist organization. Egypt is in a brutal war with Islamists tied to the Muslim Brotherhood in the Sinai peninsula. It is a fact that the Rafah Border Crossing and the Hamas-dug tunnels between Egypt and Gaza were used to smuggle contraband and weapons in an attempt to undermine Egypt's stability. It would be suicidal for Egypt to open its border with Gaza and the government of Egypt along with the author of this article knows it.

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Hamdy • May 29, 2015 at 16:41

The article is comprehensive and Mr. Abu Toameh, as usual, has excelled.

However, I feel the Egyptians (country, people, government and army) have had enough from the Gazans and Hamas. One needs to be blind to figure out who is responsible for the pain and suffering of the Gazans. Had Hamas been absent from the political and military theatres, Gazans would have been living in a far much better environment.

Gazans need to wake up and liberate themselves from Hamas before even dreaming of finding a hand of friendship extended again towards them.

I know it is tough but the only solution is to get rid of the head of the serpent, Hamas.

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Elbayoumy Elsamanoudy • May 29, 2015 at 16:24

If you want to wonder, wonder about those who say that the Egyptians block the Rafah Border.

Anyone who says that either does not know that HAMAS blocked the border by forcing the border committee (EU, OLP members) to leave their work, or knows that but only wants to accuse the Egyptians and invites them to be shameful.

Before blaming the Egyptians -- who historically supported the Palestinians many tens of years before HAMAS -- blame Hamas who seized and blocked Gaza and cut it practically from Palestine so that we used to read and hear through media about Gaza and the West Bank instead of Palestine

Anyone who cares about the miserable Palestinians in Gaza (even in all the Palestinian lands) should apply pressure on HAMAS to reconcile/cooperate with the Palestinian Authorities to look after their people, including those who need to cross Rafah border.

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Carl • May 29, 2015 at 12:33

Why don't the Western nations realize that nobody wants these trouble-making people. Jordan threw them out. Iran and Iraq don't want them. Arabia has enough land to settle them, but they know that it will be only a matter of time until they try to overthrow their government. As usual we are in the "farmer in the dell" predicament. "AND THE JEWS STAND ALONE"

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Robert Haymond • May 29, 2015 at 11:41

Nonetheless, the stringent measures taken by Egyptian authorities makes a good deal of sense when weighed against the threat coming from Gaza against the Egyptian establishment. Israel would do well to imitate some of these measures.

There is no reason for Israel to allow concrete and wood into the Gaza Strip, knowing full well that these items will be used to create and widen terror tunnels which, in time of the next forthcoming war between Hamas and Israel.

Over seventy Israeli soldiers died in the last war (Operation Protective Edge) and needn't have had the Israeli government forbidden the import of tunnel making products. Israel may therefore look to Egypt as a model in terms of how to deal with and destroy imminent terror threats.

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Ora

Robert Haymond • May 30, 2015 at 08:02

Robert Haymond writes, "There is no reason for Israel to allow concrete and wood into the Gaza Strip, knowing full well that these items will be used to create and widen terror tunnels which, in time of the next forthcoming war between Hamas and Israel."

Yes, Robert, you are right. I agree with all that you have written in your comment.

Nevertheless, in the real world, if Israel took the measures you mention, can you imagine what would happen? Israel would be condemned by every world body. Israel's enemies would have a field day. Now there might be justification for Israel to be put on trial at the Hague. What is permissible and accepted for Arab countries is roundly condemned if Israel does the same thing. That's the world we live in.

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Franck Prissert • May 29, 2015 at 10:56

With all due respect to the author, Gaza is ruled by Hamas, which is nothing other than the new name the Muslim Brotherhood took in Gaza in 1987.

Egypt banned the Brotherhood in March 2014 (for the nth time since it was founded in Ismailia in 1928), and sentenced to death some 600 of its members, including its Spiritual Guide Mohamed Badie.

Saudi Arabia has also banned the Brotherhood.

The US has not, why, it's another story.

Certainly, Team Obama strongly supported Morsi, strongly condemned his removal, and strongly condemned the Egyptian Court of Justice. This in itself puts the US at odds with KSA, Egypt, and certainly Israel, which is under Hamas direct fire.

The point is: President al Sisi does not make any difference between the Brotherhood and Hamas. Since they are both threats to the Sinai, which includes the arms smuggling route from Iran via Sudan, he is basically leaving it to the Gazans to police themselves.

Only the Gazans, at this stage, can get rid of Hamas. The less weapons Hamas can smuggle in, the more chances Gazans can have a level playing field.

What is regrettable is that no one is helping the Gazans revolt. I am basing this argument on the concept that indeed the Gazans want to get rid of Hamas, which seems to be a fair assumption.

If not, then a blockade seems the unfortunate way to avoid jihadist infiltration.

For that same reason, Egypt is at work destroying tunnels, a policy our own Defence Department wants to jointly develop with Israel.

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Eli Marcus • May 29, 2015 at 10:30

This is one time that I strongly beg to differ with the writer of this article -- the blame should not be placed on Egypt for causing any kind of humanitarian problems -- the blame lies squarely in the Hamas terror organization and its various splinter groups and factions.

If it were not for the cruelty of the Hamas to their own brethren, none of these problems would exist -- Egypt and Israel would both open the different crossings for exchanges of people, goods, and business, if it weren't for the stubborn insistence of the Hamas to remain on the path of violence against all of its neighbors and anyone that they even imagine opposes them.

Egypt, as a sovereign state, has every right, and one might even say an obligation, to seal their borders against terrorist activities.

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bill inaz • May 29, 2015 at 09:49

Gaza was more than once under Egypt's control. Make Gaza part of Egypt. Rout Hamas and let the Gazans get back to work. The history there, plus 20 some miles of Mediterranean coastline, could be the basis for a world class destination. But investment will not be forthcoming until the childlike Neanderthalic brutes now in charge are removed.

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Ronald Hargreave • May 29, 2015 at 09:46

"It is shameful for the Egyptians and other Arabs that, while they are imposing various forms of restrictions on Palestinians, Israel is helping patients from the Gaza Strip undergo surgery in Jerusalem."

Information like this is meaningless to them. One must understand their world view, which is spelled out in the Hamas Covenant: Israel is an Infidel (non-Muslim) state. No Infidel state may exist on the land that was won by the Muslims during the Muslim Conquest, because that land was consecrated to Muslims forever.

"[Hamas]...believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf [land trust] consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up".

"This is the law governing the land of Palestine in the Islamic Sharia (law) and the same goes for any land the Muslims have conquered by force, because during the times of (Islamic) conquests, the Muslims consecrated these lands to Muslim generations till the Day of Judgement."

Article Eleven, Hamas Covenant http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp

"No part" of the land they "conquered by force" can be given up to non-Muslim states. That means not one inch can be left for Israel, as they say here:

"Hamas is a Palestinian movement] whose allegiance is to Allah, and whose way of life is Islam. It strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine,..." Article Six. "Over every inch".

So long as the Infidel state of Israel exists on lands Muslims conquered by force, no one cares what Israel does that may be good.

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M. Buonvino • May 29, 2015 at 09:40

The Palestinians always portray themselves as victims. Otherwise, they would be spending all their time and resources as defendants in the International Criminal Court.

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Ronald Hargreave • May 29, 2015 at 09:40

The only concern of BDS and other groups intent upon destroying Israel is the destruction of Israel.

The complaints, many of which are bogus -- including apartheid, racism, ethnic cleansing -- are only designed to destroy Israel, not to achieve relief.

The only relief acceptable to Hamas is one state in which Israel no longer exists as an Infidel state.

This is made very clear in Articles Six and Eleven of their Hamas Covenant:

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp

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Ora • May 29, 2015 at 08:19

Khaled Abu Toameh, whose articles on the Gatestone Institute site I read with great appreciation and respect, says , "Instead of pointing the finger of blame at Israel, it is time for the international media and community to put pressure on Egypt and other Arab countries to help their Palestinian brethren and to stop torturing and humiliating them."

Does Mr. Toameh think that will ever happen? Does anyone think that will ever happen?

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