Egyptian officials were outraged over recent Israeli statements at the International Court in The Hague, which they claim assign Egypt responsibility for the insufficient entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
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Since Israel presented its case at the tribunal, Egyptian and Arab media have repeatedly quoted the Israeli defense team's lawyer, Christopher Staker, who stated on Friday that "access to the Gaza Strip from Egypt is under Egyptian control, and Israel is not legally obligated to allow access to Gaza from its territory."
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Humanitarian aid convoy entering Gaza from Egypt
(Photo: Alexi J. Rosenfeld /Getty Images)
Qatari newspaper The New Arab reported on Sunday, citing Egyptian officials, that Egypt will establish a crisis management team, comprising diplomatic, legal and security personnel, to discuss Cairo's future steps following Israeli claims at The Hague.
The officials said Egypt has submitted a memorandum to the International Court in response to Israeli statements and is exploring alternative measures and steps related to the Rafah crossing.
One official said that Egypt should have imposed its conditions on Israel for aid entry and that there is now a historic opportunity to pressure Israel and its supporting nations, who are concerned about Egypt's role.
According to London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, several Egyptian politicians have rejected "the Israeli accusations" toward Egypt.
Egyptian Senator Hazem El-Gendy said, "Israel is trying to deflect the accusations from itself and shift them to Egypt, in an attempt to obscure its crimes against the Palestinians." He added that "the whole world is witness to Egypt's efforts to achieve a cease-fire."
Other officials claimed, "Israel is trying to drag Egypt into the 'genocide' it committed in Gaza," emphasizing that Egypt has not closed the Rafah crossing for a single day.
Asharq Al-Awsat spoke with Raha Ahmad Hassan, a former aide to the Egyptian foreign minister, who said, "Egypt can provide international endorsements from all the senior officials who visited the Rafah crossing, to confirm that it was never closed to humanitarian aid. These, along with a legal memorandum with photos and evidence, will be submitted to the International Court."
He added, "Tel Aviv is the one blocking aid entry to Gaza, while it wants to open the crossing for Palestinians to leave Gaza for Sinai, a move Egypt rejects to prevent the Palestinians from being uprooted from their land and their issue being eradicated."
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has issued several statements since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, stating that the Rafah crossing was never permanently closed and that any closures were brief, due to Israeli attacks in the area.
Last December, the Egyptian Foreign Minister said, "The Rafah crossing is permanently open and was not closed. It allows exits from Gaza to Egypt for education, travel and medical treatment. It was only closed for 4 days when it was unfit for use due to damages from an Israeli attack."
On Friday evening, following the hearing at the International Court, Diaa Rashwan, head of the Egyptian Information Service, announced that "Egypt denies the Israeli defense claims at the International Court that Egypt is responsible for preventing the entry of aid into Gaza."
In an official statement, he added that Egypt will respond to the International Court to clarify that it did not close the Rafah crossing and that "it rejects any attempt to undermine its role as a supporter of the Palestinian cause."
He added, "Israeli officials have repeatedly emphasized in statements that they will not allow aid, especially fuel, into Gaza. Israel is accusing Egypt in an attempt to evade condemnation by the Court."
Amid the furor over Israeli statements at the International Court, there are pressures on Egypt from various entities to join a petition against Israel.
The New Arab on Saturday interviewed several experts who argued that Egypt should intervene in the petition. The report noted that although the hearings have already taken place, Egypt still has the opportunity to join the lawsuit.
A public law expert from Cairo University, interviewed by the newspaper, said that the spirit and principles of the Egyptian constitution oblige Egypt to intervene in such a petition.
"If Egypt wants to play an Arab role, and be 'the mother of Arab states,' the leading Arab nation in the Palestinian issue, it must intervene in the genocide lawsuit," he said. "South Africa has no connection to the lawsuit, other than supporting the Palestinian cause, so what about Egypt and its history with the issue?"
Despite seeing the necessity of Egyptian intervention, he believes Egypt will not intervene due to its relations with Israel and the fear of provoking it.