Hamas: Israel spreads false claims of Egypt taking extra fees at Rafah crossing to ‘sow discord’

CAIRO – 3 March 2024: Taher Al-Nono, a media adviser for the Hamas movement, has accused Israel of spreading false claims that Egypt is imposing extra fees on Palestinians crossing through the Rafah border crossing from Gaza.

During an interview with CBC TV channel on Saturday, Nono stated that Israel is spreading these claims to sow discord among Arab nations, emphasizing that the allegations of an Egyptian company collecting thousands of dollars from Palestinians for crossing are baseless lies.

“The occupation maintains the behavior of divide and rule. It does not want the Palestinian and the Egyptian peoples to maintain a positive relationship,” Nono emphasized.

Nono highlighted that Israel's aim is to undermine Egypt's support for the Palestinian people in various circumstances.

Egypt has consistently refuted accusations made by certain media outlets that an unofficial Egyptian entity is imposing undisclosed fees on Palestinians at the Rafah crossing, which connects Gaza and Sinai.

Diaa Rashwan, the head of the Egyptian State Information Service (SIS), described these claims as unfounded.

Despite Israeli bombings targeting the Palestinian side of the crossing, Egypt has repeatedly stressed its commitment to keeping the crossing open since October 8.

However, Cairo has accused Israel of intentionally creating obstacles through complex inspection procedures and repeated bombings to hinder aid delivery.

Egypt has utilized the Rafah crossing to facilitate the delivery of thousands of tons of humanitarian aid to approximately 2.3 million people in Gaza, as well as to receive Palestinians in critical condition for treatment in Egyptian hospitals.

Additionally, the crossing is instrumental in evacuating injured individuals' companions, foreign passport holders, and cancer patients.

Egypt has received 44,065 injured individuals from Gaza since the start of the Israeli war on October 7, with an average of 40-50 injured individuals arriving daily, Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar stated on Thursday.