SHARJAH: Former Egyptian information minister Osama Heikal told Arab News on Wednesday that both his country’s media and government failed to properly challenge Israel’s false claims about the Gaza blockade at the Rafah crossing.
Heikal, who was speaking at the International Government Communication Forum 2025 in Sharjah, described the two parties as being “negligent” in dealing with news of the blockade on Egypt’s border.
“There is no doubt that Israel resorts to deception in its statements … They said the Egyptian crossing is closed (and Israel) is not imposing a blockade on the Palestinians in Gaza. But in reality, the truth is that the crossing has two sides,” he explained.
The Rafah crossing was a vital entry point of aid in the early months of Tel Aviv’s war on Gaza, until Israeli troops took over its Palestinian side in May 2024, forcing it shut. The crossing borders Egypt and Tel Aviv continued to accuse Cairo of keeping it closed.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi repeatedly denied these claims, most recently on Aug. 5 and said Egypt would always remain a gateway for aid but not one for the displacement of the Palestinian people.
