Watan-A Egyptian citizen launched a fierce attack on her country’s leadership led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, accusing him of openly stealing from Palestinians in order to allow the entry of the wounded through the Rafah crossing. She referred to al-Sisi as “Cohen Egypt.”
Egyptian Citizen Condemnation
In a widely circulated video, the unnamed citizen addressed her country’s officials, saying, “Isn’t it enough that you have stolen from Egypt to rob the Palestinians?” She criticized the regime for initially charging wounded individuals coming from Gaza $3,000, which later increased to $10,000.
She questioned, “Where do these people go?” referring to displaced Palestinians. She accused the government of closing the crossing and bringing shame upon the citizens. The citizen mentioned that the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister sent a message to his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, stating that Kuwait’s aid to Palestine is present in Egyptian markets and being sold there.
Financial Burden on Palestinians
According to the citizen, Shoukry arrogantly responded that these are individual cases, and if they are not satisfied, they can look for another crossing. Mockingly, she added, “Another crossing, you blood merchants, you thieves!”
“مش مكيفكم سرقتوا مصر بتسرقوا الفلسطينيين؟ في البداية كنتو بتاخدوا 3 آلاف دولار من الجريح عشان يطلع من غزة، ووصلتوها ل10 آلاف دولار. دول بيروحوا فين؟ مش مكفيكم قافلين المعبر ولبستونا العار، بتقلبوا في الناس يا حرامية! يا سيسينياهو يا كوهين مصر!” pic.twitter.com/D3nRCJZxIA
— مجلة ميم.. مِرآتنا (@Meemmag) January 13, 2024
Brokers and Intermediaries
The citizen claimed that Egyptian intelligence officers control the borders with Gaza, manipulating vulnerable Palestinians. She described extortion starting at $3,000 and escalating to $10,000 for treatment in what she sarcastically referred to as “the flea-market hospitals.”
Egyptian activists suggest the existence of a network of brokers based in Cairo assisting Palestinians in leaving Gaza, operating around the Rafah border for years. The citizen skeptically questioned whether the exorbitant amounts extorted from Palestinians go to “Egypt Lives Fund” or the “Sovereign Fund” controlled by al-Sisi.
Financial Burden on Palestinians
She concluded by addressing Egyptians, warning that their silence on the plight of Palestinians would not go unnoticed, and they would eventually pay the price for their silence with blood. She emphasized, “No one has the right to do what is happening to the people of Palestine.”
The Guardian reported that desperate Palestinians fleeing Gaza are forced to pay thousands of dollars in bribes to “brokers” on the border, including officers and administrators with alleged connections to Egyptian intelligence. The fees paid to brokers to help Palestinians leave the enclave through Egypt can reportedly reach up to $10,000. According to the United Nations, 85% of Gaza’s population are now displaced, with most seeking refuge in the southern city of Rafah due to Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks.