Behind the Veil: Unraveling the Rafah Crossing Business and Gaza Aid Controversy
Watan-A demonstration was organized on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, demanding aid to be allowed into the Gaza Strip, sparking controversy regarding the timing, significance, and reasons behind it.
Dozens participated in the demonstration, captured by cameras, chanting slogans demanding aid to Gaza.
The Reason and Significance of the Demonstration
Egyptian journalist Gamal Sultan explained the reason and significance behind the demonstration, saying, “A week ago, Israeli media openly stated that the Egyptian regime is very concerned about the maritime passage between Cyprus and Gaza to deliver aid, and is not satisfied with the idea.”
He added, “This annoyance is due to fears of its impact on an important economic income for Egypt from the Rafah crossing, in addition to the danger of sidelining Egypt’s role in Gaza and the Palestinian file. Yesterday, the Egyptian intelligence sent a few dozen people to demonstrate at the Rafah crossing demanding its opening.”
He continued, “No Egyptian citizen can reach there except with a permit from military intelligence exclusively, and television cameras were there waiting to film the ‘surprise’ demonstration, and drones filmed from above, what a strong grassroots movement!”
The Rafah Crossing Business Generates Huge Revenue for Egypt
Several reports recently exposed the business at the Rafah crossing and the substantial revenue Egypt earns by imposing fees on Palestinians for crossing through Rafah.
It has been revealed that Palestinians desperate to leave Gaza due to the horrors of war pay bribes to brokers amounting to $10,000 per person to help them exit the territory through Egypt.
An investigation conducted by The Guardian reported that only a very small number of Palestinians have been able to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, but those attempting to have their names included on the list of those allowed to exit daily say they are asked to pay substantial coordination fees by a network of brokers associated with Egyptian intelligence agencies.
For years, a network of intermediaries based in Cairo has been coordinating the departure of Palestinians from Gaza, but prices have risen since the start of the war, with fees reaching around $500 per person.
Bribes on Trucks
At the same time, Middle East Eye revealed that an international charity, experienced in providing emergency aid in wars, famines, and earthquakes throughout the Middle East and Afghanistan, was forced to pay $5,000 per truck to a company associated with the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate to deliver aid to Gaza.
A spokesperson for the charity said, “We have worked around the world in times of wars, earthquakes, and other disasters, but we have never been treated this way by a state profiting from sending humanitarian goods… It drains a lot of our resources, and the bribes paid are per truck.”
