Diaa Rashwan: Displacing Palestinians from their Lands is a Red Line for Egypt

Diaa Rashwan, head of the State Information Service, stated that reports circulating in Israeli media, citing unnamed sources, regarding coordination to open the Rafah crossing in the coming days for Palestinians to leave Gaza, are typical Israeli practices concerning the Egyptian border. He clarified, "These reports, as stated by the responsible Egyptian source, are completely unfounded."

Rashwan added, speaking on Cairo News Channel, that there is absolutely no coordination between Egypt and Israel regarding opening the crossing from the Palestinian side only, meaning the exit of Palestinians from their land into Egyptian territory.

He continued, saying that this has never happened, and he doesn't believe it will ever happen again. He emphasized that Egypt has kept the crossing open from both sides since the beginning of the war. At the start of the war on October 7, 2023, there were Palestinians stranded in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, while some wounded or injured individuals, or those with academic or other commitments, were allowed to enter Egypt, thousands of Palestinians stranded in Egypt were also permitted to return to their homes.

He added: “Therefore, these leaks or these claims are not true at all, and the responsible Egyptian source confirmed this. Egypt affirms that displacement, whether forced or voluntary, is a red line for it, along with the threat to national security, which are the two red lines for Egyptian policy.”