From Gaza to Egypt: The Ongoing Struggles of Palestinian Refugees

Watan-Thousands of Palestinians fled the inferno of devastating Israeli bombardment on the Gaza Strip in search of safety, only to find themselves facing a new ordeal in Egypt.

Over 100,000 Palestinians who have been displaced to Egypt during 15 months of war are living in dire conditions. Since their arrival, they have encountered legal obstacles, denial of work and education rights, and difficulty accessing healthcare and basic services, compounding their daily suffering.

Despite holding 35-day tourist visas, Palestinians in Egypt endure a lack of legal and economic stability. These refugees are forced to pay exorbitant amounts for security permits, while Egyptian authorities impose fees of up to $1,000 per individual, compared to just $25 paid by Israelis for entry.

Their suffering does not end there. Palestinian refugees hospitalized in Egypt for treatment find themselves in prison-like conditions, denied the ability to leave or receive external financial aid. These harsh policies have made Egypt yet another place that fails to provide safety and stability for Palestinians fleeing death.

Meanwhile, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s regime faces heavy criticism for its role in tightening restrictions on Palestinian refugees, alongside continuing normalization policies with the Israeli occupation. Numerous human rights and media reports have documented this tragedy, viewing the treatment of Palestinian refugees in Egypt as a continuation of the occupation’s policies aimed at oppressing the Palestinian people wherever they are.

With the absence of international organizations due to Egyptian restrictions, Palestinian refugees in Egypt remain without genuine support, caught between the hammer of war in Gaza and the anvil of repression in the neighboring state. Heart-wrenching testimonies from refugees reveal how their lives have shifted from the inferno of war to the tragedy of displacement, with no solutions or improvements in sight.