National Dialogue: Biden should prevent anticipated Gaza massacres instead of making false statements about Egypt’s role

CAIRO – 10 February 2024: The Board of Trustees of Egypt’s National Dialogue has issued a statement strongly rejecting the “false statements” made by US President Joe Biden regarding Egypt’s stance on opening the Rafah crossing from its side.

In a statement released on Saturday, the board emphasized that Egypt has never closed the Rafah crossing, neither during the Israeli aggression on Gaza nor before, and stated that this widely known.

“It is both surprising and concerning that the President of the world’s largest country is either unaware or misinformed about this fact or that he says something contradicting it,” the statement read.

The board urged Biden to utilize the strong US-Israeli relations to prevent further aggression in Gaza, particularly in the city of Rafah, where Israel is planning a globally-rejected assault.

The anticipated Israeli attacks will likely lead to further exacerbation of the humanitarian situation in the strip, with Rafah hosting around half of Gaza’s population, who have been displaced from other areas due to Israeli military activities.

“Instead of making false statements about Egypt’s role, Biden should use his country’s strong relationship with Israel to put an end to the bloody aggression on Gaza and prevent the anticipated or even planned massacres in Palestine’s Rafah, where around 1.3 million Palestinians reside,” the statement stressed.

The board called for Biden to visit the Gaza Strip to witness firsthand the “largest humanitarian catastrophe in contemporary global history, caused by his ally, Israel. Perhaps then he can take steps to stop this crime.”

In response to Biden’s remarks, the Egyptian Presidency issued a statement on Friday, affirming that Egypt has opened the Rafah border crossing from its side without any restrictions or conditions since the beginning of the conflict.

The fact that Egypt has not closed the Rafah crossing, neither during the Israeli aggression on Gaza nor before, is widely known to everyone. It is both strange and concerning that the president of the world’s largest country is unaware of this fact or is being misinformed on it.… pic.twitter.com/pF4shN5wRE

— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) February 10, 2024

Presidency refuting claims

The presidency further highlighted that Egypt has mobilized significant humanitarian aid and relief, both domestically and from countries worldwide, which has been delivered directly to Al Arish Airport.

Egypt has exerted considerable pressure on all relevant parties to ensure the smooth flow of aid into the region, the statement noted.

Moreover, the Presidency placed blame on Israel for obstructing and impeding the delivery of aid due to its persistent bombing of the Palestinian side of the crossing.