Israel 'Reopens' Rafah Crossing, A Masterclass in Control
📰 THE STORY: Al-Monitor reports that Israel, through its COGAT agency, will 'reopen' the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Sunday, allowing certain Gazan residents who left during the conflict to return, subject to Israeli security clearance and Egyptian coordination. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The Rafah crossing isn't just a border point; it's a chokehold. The 17-year
blockade of Gaza, intensified dramatically since October 2023, has turned the Strip into an open-air prison. Even when 'open,' Rafah has historically been under severe Israeli restrictions, often dictating who can leave or enter, and even what goods can pass. For instance, after the 2007 siege, Israel micro-managed food intake, calculating the minimum calories to keep Gazans barely alive, a policy
described by Israeli official Dov Weisglass as 'putting Gazans on a diet.' Double Standard: Imagine any other nation bombing a civilian population for months, killing over 40,000, displacing nearly 2 million, then announcing it will 'allow' some refugees to return through a border crossing it controls, pending 'security clearance.' This dictatorial control over a captive population's movement
would be universally condemned as a war crime and ethnic cleansing in any other context. Yet, for Gaza, it's framed as a humanitarian 'reopening,' downplaying Israel’s role in creating the crisis and its continued subjugation. Countries like Russia or China exercising such absolute authority over humanitarian corridors would be met with outrage and calls for intervention, not passive reporting of