Egypt says Israeli claims on Rafah crossing ‘lies’, rejects displacement via border

CAIRO – 14 December 2025: Egypt said on Sunday the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt must be opened in both directions to allow entry to and exit from Gaza.

He dismissed Israeli claims about operating the crossing in only one direction to facilitate Palestinians’ departure as “lies” as he spoke to Sabahak Masry TV program on Sunday.

“At first they said the Rafah crossing was not operating from the Egyptian side, and that was a big lie,” Abdelatty said.

“The whole world knows full well that the crossing has been operating around the clock from the Egyptian side, and that the problem lies on the other side due to Israeli intransigence.”

He affirmed that the crossing must be opened as part of the entitlements of the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan.

Abdelatty’s remarks come after the Israeli government early in December said that the crossing will open shortly to allow Palestinians’ departure only, claiming that the move comes in coordination with Egypt.

“These statements are nothing but nonsense, a twisting of the facts and the spread of lies,” Abdelatty stated.

He added that the reopening of the Rafah crossing would allow Palestinian patients to travel abroad for treatment in limited numbers, as well as enable those who have completed treatment outside Gaza to return.

He stressed that the crossing “will not be used as a gateway for the displacement of Palestinians” and that Cairo “will not take part in any injustice against the Palestinian people,” echoing previous remarks by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

“Matters cannot be put right unless the crossing operates from both directions,” he said.

He added that Egypt is pushing to remove Israeli obstacles hindering the entry of humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza.

He called for assistance to be delivered in quantities sufficient to meet the needs of the enclave’s population after a prolonged period of famine caused by Israel’s restrictions on aid.