Ibrahim Al-Argani, Sisi’s Ally: Extortion and Goods Monopoly in Gaza
How a Powerful Businessman Controls Aid and Trade at the Rafah Border, Worsening Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis.
Watan-Ibrahim Al-Argani, one of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s strongest allies, continues to deepen the Gaza crisis by monopolizing the entry of aid and commercial goods into the strip.
His affiliated companies, such as “Abnaa Sinai” and “Golden Eagle,” impose exorbitant fees on trucks, making the delivery of essential supplies to Gaza an expensive and complicated process.
No commercial truck is allowed to cross the Rafah border without paying at least $20,000, while humanitarian aid trucks are subjected to extortion, with priority given to those who pay the highest bribes. This worsens the suffering of Gaza’s residents.
Bribes at Rafah: The Cost of Aid Entry into Gaza
According to media reports, Al-Argani has taken control of aid deliveries, sidelining the Egyptian Red Crescent, which now plays only a symbolic role and has no power to intervene or curb the corruption surrounding this process.
Since the ceasefire, only 9,000 trucks have entered Gaza, covering the needs of just 5% of the population, while the strip faces an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. More alarmingly, trucks carrying essential supplies such as flour, rice, and medical equipment are being sidelined in favor of those loaded with non-essential goods like chocolate, soda, and potato chips—highlighting the deep corruption and profiteering at the expense of Palestinian suffering.
Al-Argani’s Monopoly: Rising Prices and Profiteering in Gaza
Al-Argani’s control over aid deliveries has led to soaring prices inside Gaza, as hefty fees continue to be imposed, despite being reduced from $60,000 to $20,000 per truck—amounts considered illegal bribes that further exacerbate the crisis of food and medicine in the strip.
Ibrahim Al-Argani effectively controls border crossings, making him a symbol of the illicit profits generated from the blockade on Gaza. In light of this situation, many are questioning the role of Egyptian authorities in allowing such practices and how Palestinians can break this monopoly, which turns their suffering into a source of unlawful wealth.
