Watan-With the statement, ‘Silence in the face of narratives coming from the Rafah Crossing is a disgrace,’ the Egyptian writer and journalist Wael Qandil opened his article in the newspaper ‘Al Arabi Al Jadid,’ shedding light on what he referred to as the ‘bribery mafia.’ This mafia, according to Qandil, exploits Palestinian blood, buying and selling in the bleeding wound for the past 100 days in Gaza.

He questioned whether the Western media is exaggerating what it publishes about this issue or if this is indeed the reality. Qandil highlighted the existence of imposed fees on every Palestinian patient seeking to cross the border for treatment abroad, sometimes reaching up to ten thousand dollars.

“Between Two Torments”

Wael Qandil stated in his article, which I came across on (Watan), that the deterioration of health conditions in Gaza, coupled with the madness of the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people, amid complete silence and incapacity on the part of Arab governments to rescue them—or rather, a lack of willingness to rescue them—has left Palestinians between two torments: the torment of brutal Israeli bombardment and the torment of financial extortion at the Rafah Crossing.

The Egyptian writer pointed out that these conditions have been discussed for a long time, but the extensive coverage in widely circulated international newspapers such as The Guardian makes silence this time a cause for shame.

Expressing his surprise at what was mentioned at the end of the investigation, Qandil questioned why the head of the Egyptian Intelligence Agency, responsible for foreign media and what is published about Egypt, refused to comment on the testimonies provided by their owners.

“The Inclination of the Authorities”

Wael Qandil delved into the duality of publication and response regarding Egypt and the allegations that what is published about Egypt abroad is a “cosmic conspiracy,” as has been claimed for the past ten years. Whenever a media outlet or an individual writes an article that does not align with the inclinations of the authorities in Egypt, as happened in 2016 with the same British newspaper, it was met with a media onslaught, filled with denials and accusations of incompetence, lack of professionalism, credibility, and conspiracy against the Egyptian state.

He continued, “It is also inconceivable that the Palestinian in Gaza specifically, besieged and attacked on all fronts—land, air, and sea—would be preoccupied with harming Egypt and conspiring against it. Firstly, the Palestinians, especially those in Gaza, have the strongest emotional and existential ties to Egypt among the Arabs. Therefore, they are more eager to maintain healthy and respectful relationships with Egypt.”

“Secondly, where does he find the time to think about harming Egypt when his mind is preoccupied with the open wounds, his blood flowing on the ground, carrying his wounded children, searching for a place of safety and treatment? And thirdly, and most importantly, the stories about the crossing mafia extend to distant years, well-known to everyone, with nothing new except for these astronomical figures demanded from the displaced Palestinians.

“Preordained Decision of Intentional Betrayal”

Before and after everything else, it cannot be ignored that there seems to be a preordained decision of intentional betrayal directed towards the Palestinian people who are facing genocide in Gaza. This decision, which appears to have been made and implemented since the first day of the aggression, has not been countered by a single respectable step or action that dispels this impression.

The Egyptian journalist expressed his belief that it is not fitting for Egypt to remain silent about the horrors mentioned in the testimonies of Palestinians at the crossing. He also emphasized that the situation requires nothing less than a clear and declared decision to open the crossing free of charge for every Palestinian whose condition necessitates traveling abroad for medical treatment. Anything less than that is a full participation in the humanitarian crime committed by the occupation in Gaza.