Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt has sharply condemned recent remarks attributed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting the possibility of displacing Palestinians from Gaza through the Rafah border crossing. In a strongly worded statement, Cairo rejected what it described as an unacceptable attempt to legitimize forced displacement and prolong regional instability.
The Egyptian government expressed “deep revulsion” at Netanyahu’s reported comments, which it said reflect ongoing Israeli efforts to escalate tensions and avoid accountability for its military operations in the Gaza Strip. Egypt accused the Israeli leadership of deliberately sowing chaos to deflect domestic and international scrutiny over what Cairo described as war crimes against civilians.
“Egypt categorically rejects any scenario involving the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land, whether under coercion or the guise of voluntary relocation,” the statement read. It emphasized that targeting civilians, destroying infrastructure, and undermining all aspects of life in Gaza amount to a systematic campaign to forcibly drive people from their homes actions that Egypt considers violations of international humanitarian law and potential acts of ethnic cleansing.
Cairo reiterated that it will never allow itself to become complicit in “this injustice,” reaffirming that the Rafah crossing, the only border between Gaza and the outside world not controlled by Israel will not become a gateway for forced expulsion. “This is a red line that is non-negotiable and immutable,” the statement declared.
Egypt further warned that any attempt to alter the demographic composition of Gaza through displacement would represent a blatant breach of international norms and conventions. It called on the international community, especially the United Nations Security Council, to take immediate and concrete action to protect Palestinian civilians and ensure their right to remain on their land whether in Gaza, the West Bank, or East Jerusalem.
Egypt’s statement also urged the international community to move beyond statements of concern and activate mechanisms of accountability for Israel’s actions, which, it said, are increasingly being used as political tools in the absence of meaningful international justice.
Cairo called for a ceasefire in Gaza, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory, and a return to the framework of international agreements governing the administration of Gaza’s border crossings particularly the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access, which outlines the operational modalities for the Rafah crossing on the Palestinian side.
The statement emphasized the need to restore legitimate Palestinian governance in the Gaza Strip and called for international support to empower the Palestinian Authority to take control of Gaza’s administration and crossings. Egypt made clear that this is essential not only to restoring order but to advancing a just and durable resolution to the Palestinian issue.
In conclusion, Egypt reaffirmed its unwavering position: the only viable path forward lies in the realization of an independent Palestinian state based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Cairo stressed that this is not only a political imperative but also a moral one, aligned with the principles of human rights, self-determination, and all relevant international resolutions.
As the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza deepens, Egypt’s position underscores the growing regional alarm over any plans for forced displacement, and the urgent need for a political resolution that upholds justice, sovereignty, and peace.
