Netanyahu accuses Egypt of 'imprisoning' Palestinians in Gaza, Cairo condemns remarks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Egyptian government on Friday of “imprisoning against their will residents in Gaza who want to leave a war zone.”

“I can open the [Rafah] crossing for them, but they’ll be blocked… immediately by Egypt,” Netanyahu stated in an interview with the popular Arab social media account, Abu Ali Express.

“We’re not seeking to expel [Palestinians], but to lock them in? By force? All the human rights warriors – where are you?”

“When it comes to something that serves Israel, there are no human rights. Even when it’s about giving the basic right to every Palestinian, to leave,” the Israeli leader added.

Diplomatic relations between Egypt and Israel have deteriorated sharply since the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attack in Israel. While Egypt formally acts as a mediator in the indirect talks between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization, Cairo has simultaneously accused Israel of committing “genocide” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Israel and its allies have repeatedly pointed out that Gaza also borders Egypt, which has largely kept its crossing closed to Gazans

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry responded with “utmost condemnation” for Netanyahu's remarks.

“The comments attributed to Netanyahu regarding the uprooting of Palestinians from their land, including through the Rafah Crossing, are an attempt to prolong the escalation and instability, and avoid confronting the consequences of Israeli violations in Gaza,” the foreign ministry in Cairo stated.

During a visit to Cyprus, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reiterated accusations of “genocide” against Israel while rejecting the entry of Gazans into Egyptian territory.

“Displacement is not an option and it is a red line for Egypt and we will not allow it to happen,” Abdelatty told media reporters. “Displacement means liquidation and the end of the Palestinian cause and there is no legal or moral or ethical ground to evict people from their homeland.”

“What is happening on the ground is far beyond the imagination. There is a genocide in motion there, mass killing of civilians, artificial starvation created by the Israelis,” Abdelatty stated without providing evidence to support the allegation.

In response, Netanyahu’s office emphasized that the prime minister was “speaking about the free will of every single person in choosing where to live. That’s a basic human right at any time – especially wartime.”

Some commentators have noted that while millions of refugees from Ukraine and Syria were welcomed abroad, few countries have been willing to accept Gazans seeking to leave the war zone.

Egypt’s official stance overlooks survey data from Gaza. A Gallup International poll in April found that more than half of Gazans would consider emigrating if given the chance, while only 39% said they preferred to remain in the enclave. So far, however, no Arab or Muslim country has publicly offered to accept Gazans who wish to leave voluntarily.

Israel has strongly rejected the accusations of “genocide” and “famine” in Gaza.

In June 2024, West Point urban warfare expert John Spencer assessed that the Jewish state is subjected to unprecedented double standards.

“Israel is being measured by double and triple standards” concerning the war against Hamas in Gaza, Spencer argued, adding that such a standard does not exist anywhere else in the world.

“The IDF uses tactics that no army has ever seen to prevent harm to civilians and still fulfill its mission,” Spencer concluded.

Qatar, another Arab state that has been mediating the hostage-ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, also condemned Netanyahu, accusing him of seeking “to displace Palestinians, considering them an extension of the occupation’s approach to violating the rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, its contempt for international law and agreements, and its poisonous efforts to block opportunities for peace, especially the two-state solution.”

However, critics have questioned Qatar’s credibility as an impartial mediator given the nation's close ties to Hamas and the radical Muslim Brotherhood. Furthermore, some believe that Qatar’s large investment in Western academic institutions has played a key role in the rise of antisemitism globally.