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Egypt’s Role in Gaza’s Humanitarian Tragedy

Displaced Palestinians walk next to the border fence between Gaza and Egypt, on February 16, 2024, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terror group. (Mohammed Abed/AFP)
Amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Egypt’s refusal to accept Palestinian refugees into its territory has left countless individuals trapped in dire conditions. Despite the escalating violence and the urgent plight of civilians, why has Egypt consistently rejected appeals to provide refuge to Palestinians?
At the outset of the Israel-Hamas war, Egypt and the Biden administration agreed that Gazans should not be resettled in Egypt or any other Arab country, effectively leaving those attempting to flee the conflict with nowhere to go. This decision, framed by Egypt as a means to preserve Palestinian identity and territorial rights, has, in practice, worsened the humanitarian crisis by increasing civilian casualties in a conflict where Hamas has cynically used its people as human shields.
Egypt’s firm stance is exemplified by its construction of a physical barrier—a wall along its border with Gaza, completed early last year. This additional measure to prevent Palestinians from seeking refuge underscores Egypt’s unwillingness to extend a lifeline. Of Gaza’s 2 million residents, reports indicate that only about 100,000 Palestinians have managed to cross into Egypt since the beginning of the war, often after paying bribes as high as $15,000. This system privileges those with financial means while leaving the most vulnerable—those without resources—trapped in a war zone with no hope of escape.
The Egyptian government’s rejection of Palestinian refugees is not a new occurrence. Historically, Palestinians who fled to Egypt during Israel’s 1948 War of Independence have faced decades of marginalization. Denied recognition as citizens or refugees (as UNRWA has not been allowed to operate in Egypt), they are excluded from fundamental rights such as access to education, healthcare, and employment. This systemic discrimination was part of a broader regional strategy to pressure Israel into absorbing displaced Palestinians, a move that would alter Israel’s demographic makeup and threaten its very existence. Given this history, it is unlikely that displaced Palestinians from Gaza who have crossed illegally into Egypt will receive better treatment today.
The issue reached a new flashpoint this week when President Donald Trump proposed that Egypt temporarily accept Palestinians from Gaza to facilitate reconstruction efforts in the war-torn enclave. Egypt swiftly rejected the proposal and reaffirmed its commitment to Palestinian “steadfastness” on their land. This rejection, coupled with a declaration from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry that displacement violates Palestinians’ “inalienable rights,” underscores an entrenched political agenda. However, by focusing on ideological posturing, Egypt neglects the immediate needs of Palestinian civilians for shelter, medical care, and essential services.
For peace to become a reality, Egypt and other Arab states must make a concerted effort to prioritize the well-being of Palestinians. Providing refuge and essential services to Gaza’s survivors would significantly alleviate their suffering and could enable conditions for a safer and more efficient reconstruction of Gaza. Instead of using Palestinians as political pawns to pressure Israel, Egypt must take a proactive role in addressing the immediate crisis. Without these efforts, Gaza’s reconstruction will remain stagnant, Hamas’s control over the coastal strip will be regained, and the path to peace will remain obstructed.
A long-term solution requires more than diplomatic maneuvering or ideological dogmas—it demands decisive action. Egypt must set aside its political agenda against Israel and step forward as a neighbor and partner to Palestinian civilians, offering safety and dignity rather than acting as a barrier to their survival.
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