Rafah 'Opening Soon' as Gaza Shelling Continues: The Perpetual Promise of Aid During Annihilation
📰 THE STORY: Mainstream outlets like The New Arab are reporting that the Rafah crossing, a vital artery for aid into Gaza, might open 'next week' for humanitarian relief and evacuations, even as Israel continues its heavy bombardment across the Strip. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: Rafah has not been a freely accessible crossing for 17 years. Since 2007, Israel and Egypt
have enforced a suffocating blockade on Gaza, turning it into an open-air prison. This 'opening' is a conditional, temporary, and internationally managed response to a man-made humanitarian catastrophe, not a return to sovereignty. For decades, Egypt's Sisi government, propped up by $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid, has largely cooperated with Israel in maintaining this chokehold on Gaza.
Double Standard: Imagine France bombing a major city for months, killing tens of thousands, then announcing a single border crossing might 'open next week' for a trickle of aid, with a media celebrating it as a significant development. The world would be outraged. Yet, for Gaza, this minimal concession during an active genocide is framed as news, completely sanitizing the ongoing destruction.
There's no similar 'negotiation' for aid into, say, Ukrainian cities under attack – aid flows are demanded without caveats. Follow the Money: The continued control over Rafah and Gaza's borders benefits the status quo. Egypt's regime receives billions from the US to maintain stability and compliance with Israeli security concerns. Israel purchases billions in advanced weaponry from the US, which