Gaza Burns, Egypt Profits

It’s time to lift the veil on Egypt’s so-called ‘mediation’ and expose it for what it truly is: cynical exploitation of Gaza’s despair.

Courtesy of US State Department

As horror unfolds between Israel and Gaza, one player lurks in the shadows, perpetuating Hamas’ cycle of violence: Egypt. It’s time we expose Egypt’s role for what it truly is—not a mediator but a profiteer, soaked in Gaza’s blood and misery. While the nation claims to act as a broker for peace, Egypt’s true motives are cynical and self-serving, fueling Hamas’s terror and enriching its elite on Gaza’s suffering.

Consider Egypt’s so-called oversight of the Egypt-Gaza border. Smuggling networks between Egypt and Gaza have become lifelines for Hamas’s operations, supplying weapons, ammunition, and supplies through tunnels that Egypt deliberately ignores. These tunnels, recently uncovered in massive numbers, are the lifeblood of Hamas’s terror operations, yet Cairo continues to look the other way.

This negligence is more than mere oversight, though; it’s a profitable enterprise. Figures like Ibrahim al-Organi, closely tied to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, have reportedly created highly profitable smuggling enterprises, with fees reportedly up to $5,000 for adults and $2,500 for children to cross from Gaza into Egypt, profiting from their desperation. These cruel actions empower Hamas, fueling a conflict that continues to claim innocent lives. This behavior isn’t mediation; it’s war profiteering hidden behind a façade of diplomacy.

Then there’s the Rafah crossing—a vital corridor Egypt controls with ruthless calculation. Egypt has repeatedly slammed the door shut, trapping civilians in Gaza and blocking the flow of food, water, and medical supplies. Why? Because human lives mean little when Cairo can hold Gaza’s suffering over the heads of other nations, leveraging this crisis to bolster its regional standing and extract concessions from the international community. Egypt’s past 3-week closure of the Rafah Crossing reportedly delayed shipments of over 82,000 tons of humanitarian aid meant for Gaza, which spoiled and became unusable. Meanwhile, U.S. aid continues to flow into Egypt under the guise of promoting “stability.” However, Egypt’s actions promote the opposite—actively obstructing aid and lining its pockets while Gazans are left to fend for themselves.

It’s a bitter irony that Egypt presents itself as an “essential partner” in peace talks while perpetuating the very conditions that make peace impossible. Egypt’s duplicity was exposed when, on May 6, it secretly altered the terms of a previously agreed-upon deal with Israel, inserting unacceptable provisions dictated by Hamas—terms that Israel would never have agreed to. This calculated move derailed the negotiations, further exposing Egypt’s self-serving tactics. Egypt controls Rafah as a bargaining chip, holding innocent Palestinians hostage to Cairo’s whims and using Gaza’s misery to expand its influence. While claiming solidarity with its Arab brethren, Egypt refuses to accept Palestinian refugees, its hypocrisy on full display. Gaza burns, and Egypt profits—both financially and politically.

Where’s the outrage? The media barely whispers about Egypt’s role as the nation remains conspicuously absent from international scrutiny. Western leaders, eager to preserve Egypt’s alliance, look the other way. Egypt has mastered the art of deception, masquerading as a stabilizing force while orchestrating chaos behind the scenes. Its hands may not be visibly bloody, but make no mistake—Egypt is elbow-deep in the suffering of Gazans.

Let’s not pretend that Egypt is alone in profiting off this war, though. Qatar and Iran openly support Hamas, pouring in funds and resources that keep this terror machine running. However, their involvement is more often acknowledged, while Egypt claims the role of “peacekeeper” while exacerbating the very conflict it claims to want to end. Egypt is not indispensable to peace; it’s a parasite feeding off Gaza’s suffering.

Our inability to hold Egypt accountable isn’t just political negligence; it’s a moral failure. Egypt’s actions are shielded by diplomatic immunity and Western financial agreements. How much longer will we fund a regime that exploits human suffering for profit? How long can we pretend that Egypt’s actions don’t matter?

If the United States is serious about peace, then Congress must act. No more blank checks for a regime that exploits Gaza’s suffering and prolongs its misery. U.S. aid to Egypt should come with firm conditions: shut down the smuggling tunnels, permanently open the Rafah crossing to genuine humanitarian aid, and stop profiting off innocent lives.

Egypt isn’t a stabilizer; it’s a profiteer, a cynical player in a game of death and despair. This betrayal of humanity runs deep, thriving on Gaza’s agony as innocent blood spills. Our silence is not just complicity; it is a stain on our conscience that demands to be confronted.