Egypt on Friday rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation that Cairo is forcing residents of Gaza who want to flee the war in the territory to remain there “against their will”.
Mr Netanyahu claimed in an interview with Abu Ali Express, an Israeli social media channel covering Arab affairs, that he would allow Gazans to leave through the Rafah crossing but “they would be blocked by Egypt”.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry described Mr Netanyahu’s statement as “part of his continuous attempts to prolong the period of escalation in the region and entrench instability to avoid confronting the consequences of Israeli violations in Gaza, both internally and externally”.
Egypt “reiterates its condemnation and rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people under any pretext, whether forced or voluntary, from their land through the continued targeting of civilians, civilian infrastructure, and various aspects of life,” the ministry said.
Egypt closed the Rafah crossing from Gaza in May last year after Israeli troops seized control of the Palestinian side.
Mr Netanyahu’s remarks were also condemned by Qatar and Jordan. The Qatari Foreign Ministry described them as "an extension of the occupation's [Israel's] approach of violating the rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, its contempt for international laws and agreements, and its toxic efforts to obstruct peace prospects, particularly the two-state solution".
Jordan's Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning "the hostile and unacceptable statements issued by extremists within the Israeli government regarding the displacement of Palestinians from their land, the latest of which was the Israeli Prime Minister's statement regarding the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing".
Mr Netanyahu's remarks came amid growing calls by members of his far-right government for Israel to seize control of Gaza and force out the population of the Palestinian territory.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister said earlier on Friday that Cairo would not tolerate the mass displacement of Palestinians.
"Displacement is not an option and it is a red line for Egypt and we will not allow it to happen," Badr Abdelatty told reporters during a visit to Cyprus.
"Displacement means liquidation and the end of the Palestinian cause and there is no legal or moral or ethical ground to evict people from their homeland," he said.
"What is happening on the ground is far beyond the imagination,” Mr Abdelatty said, referring to Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, now in its 23rd month.
“There is a genocide in motion there, mass killing of civilians, artificial starvation created by the Israelis," he said.
Egypt and Qatar, along with the US, have acted as mediators in efforts to end the devastating war in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, when the militant group Hamas killed about 1,200 people in raids on southern Israel, mostly civilians, and took about 250 others hostage. Israel's retaliation has killed more than 64,000 people in Gaza and injured more than 162,000, mostly civilians.
Israeli air attacks and ground operations have damaged or destroyed homes, hospitals, schools and infrastructure across the small coastal territory while displacing most of its 2.2 million residents. Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid have created widespread hunger, with the UN last month declaring a famine in Gaza city, where about half of the population live.
The Israeli military has begun an assault on the city that Mr Netanyahu has said is needed to defeat Hamas and free about 50 remaining hostages, despite global concerns about the impact on civilians.
Gaza city high-rise destroyed
The Israeli army launched strikes one of Gaza city’s few remaining high-rise buildings on Friday, after Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened to unleash “hell” on its residents.
“Now the bolt must be removed from the gates of hell in Gaza,” Mr Katz wrote on X. The attacks will intensify, he warned, until Israeli hostages are returned and Hamas disarms.
Mr Katz said a notice to evict people from a high-rise tower in Gaza city had been delivered, and warned of an impending attack on what is left standing in the devastated territory after nearly two years of war.
Minutes later, the Israeli army hit Al Mushtaha tower, in western Gaza city.
The military claimed that the building was used by Hamas and housed weapons and surveillance equipment to plot attacks against its troops.
The tower's management denied the claims.
"We categorically deny the lies propagated by the Israeli occupation, and confirm that the tower, since its targeting last year, has been under strict supervision by the management, and only displaced civilians are permitted to enter," it said in a statement circulated by Palestinian media.
Hamas issued a statement condemning the strike, and called the Israeli claims "flimsy pretexts and blatant lies" used to justify its attacks.
Earlier on Friday, Hamas's armed wing released footage of two Israeli hostages in the city.
In the video, a hostage is driven to the headquarters of the International Committee for the Red Crescent (ICRC) where he meets a second hostage. He can be heard saying there are eight other hostages in Gaza city.
Hours after the video was released, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir renewed his call to reoccupy Gaza, for the “complete crushing” of the territory and “encouragement of emigration” of its people. He said this was how the hostages would be returned.
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed 19 people in and around Gaza city on Friday. The UN estimates the area is home to nearly one million people and declared a famine there last month. At least 376 people, of them 134 children, have died of malnutrition and starvation, health authorities said on Friday.
On Thursday, Israel said it had taken control of 40 per cent of Gaza city.
