By Hugh Fitzgerald, JIHAD WATCH 18 May 2024
Rafah crossing closed
Israel took over the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt last week, in order to make sure that Hamas could not smuggle in weapons through that route, and also to ensure that Hamas would not hijack aid shipments just after they came into Gaza. The Egyptians, however, displeased at the IDF’s move, decided to retaliate by preventing aid trucks from moving through the Rafah Crossing into Gaza altogether. What’s more, they rejected Israel’s request to let those aid trucks enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Crossing further north. More on this move that will only harm Gazans, and for which Egypt alone is responsible — but for which Israel is being blamed — can be found here: “Palestinian ‘strategist’ praises Egypt for blocking aid to Gaza,” Elder of Ziyon, May 14, 2024:
New York Times reported on Friday that Egypt has refused to send aid through the Rafah crossing while Israel is there, and it has also refused to send the trucks backed up along that border to the Kerem Shalom crossing. This was to show displeasure at Israel’s operation in Rafah where they took over the Gazan [sic]
The story from the premier US newspaper has not been picked up by other news outlets. So US News, for example, reports it as “both sides blaming each other,” even though Egypt didn’t deny that it had closed the Rafah crossing from its side.
Both sides may be blaming each other, but US News and other media outlets failed to explain to their audiences that it was Egypt that had stopped all aid shipments through the Rafah crossing, had also failed to allow trucks backed up at Rafah to instead enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, and, finally, that it was Israel that had implored the governments of the UK and Germany to persuade Egypt to allow in food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza either through the Rafah or the Keren Shalom crossings. Meanwhile, the world is blaming Israel for what Egypt alone has done and that Israel is trying to persuade it to undo.
It’s pretty clear that Egypt is the problem here. Israel is pleading with European governments to pressure Egypt to allow aid shipments to resume.
“The key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now in the hands of our Egyptian friends,” Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz said in comments released by his office.
Katz said he had spoken with his British and German counterparts about “the need to persuade Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing”, adding he would also speak with Italy’s foreign minister later on Tuesday.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has governed Gaza, will not “control the Rafah crossing”, Katz said, citing security concerns over which Israel “will not compromise”.
The comments drew a swift and angry response from Egypt’s foreign ministry, which said Israel was responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and that Israel’s military operations in Rafah were the main factor blocking aid.
Egypt has been telling Gazans to go to hell for seven months, building a huge wall to keep Palestinians out and extracting bribes for the rich ones to escape – and ends up smelling like a rose in the eyes of the media.
But it gets even more Orwellian.
From Egypt’s Al Qahera News:
Palestinians (in Ramallah, naturally) are thanking Egypt for starving Gaza! They are “principled!”…
The PA is thanking Egypt for keeping aid from entering Gaza, as a way to punish the Israelis for taking control of the Rafah crossing. That is why the PA calls Egypt “principled.” Meanwhile, the Gazans are the ones paying the price, in food insecurity, for Egypt’s blocking of food trucks at the Rafah crossing.
So while Egypt refuses to let any aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing, Israel has been pleading with it to reverse its decision, even asking European countries to intervene in an attempt to change Egypt’s mind. What’s more, the Israelis are also sending more aid into Gaza from the northern crossings. But it is Israel alone that is being blamed by the world’s media “for starving the people of Gaza.” Egypt’s preventing aid trucks from entering Gaza through the Rafah crossing is ignored.
A mad world, my masters!
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E. Rowell: A post by Amir Tsarfati on his Telegram channel (18 May 2024) brings startling clarity to this issue:
“There is no question about the fact that there are 50 tunnels under Philadelphi, a direct freeway to from Egypt to Rafah.
“So the question is, why does the whole world engage and attack Israel in stories of a humanitarian crisis?
“Why didn’t Hamas and Egypt send food through the tunnels?
“This is a shocking truth that reveals the main reason why the world did not want us to enter Rafah. The collapse of the argument that Israel is the only one that can bring food into Gaza, the collapse of the argument that Israel is to blame for the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.”
@Adam Dagliesh- the telegram Chanel is “ Imshin” posting daily videos in Aza. I’ve been watching for months, but nothing like this in the msm!
Just what we have been writing in our comments for months. Now we know why Egypt is so upset, but why USA, EU, UK and all the rest? Are they also getting baksheesh? It wouldn’t be a surprize!
By the way–I failed earlier to credit Elder of Zion for this story.. Getting this story to Israpundit has been a team project. But Elder is the team leader.
There is an Israeli blogger named kurlianchuk who posts on “X.” He hasposted a video made by a Palestinian shopper that proves beyond all doubt that there is no “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza. The Gazan who who recorded the video on her cell phone. shows herself and many other people shopping at an open-air market near rafah which is crowded with food stalls selling every kind of food–meat, grains, fresh vegetables and fruit. There are a semingly limitless number of stalls, and crowds of shoppers putting foods into their baskets. Everyone in the video is obviously well fed. Not one who looks like he-she is starving or even dieting.
All solidly built , healthy people.
The humanitarian crisis is a complete, utter hoax fabricated by the Arabs, the Europeans, and the Biden-Blinken A striking examples of Ms, Goudsmid’s (did I spell her name correctly) Humanitarian hoaxes.
Absolutely essential informatiion concerning the supposed humanitarian crisis that the mainstream media has supressed. Great work, Hugh Fitzgerals and E.Rowell, for bringing this to our attention.