Rafah 'Reopening' Masks Ongoing Siege
📰 THE STORY: Al-Monitor reports that Israel will 'reopen' Gaza's Rafah crossing for people after concluding an operation to retrieve a hostage's body, framing it as a conditional relief measure for the besieged Strip. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: Israel, often with Egyptian complicity, has maintained a brutal blockade on Gaza since 2007, trapping over 2 million
Palestinians in what has been widely described as an open-air prison. The closure of Rafah is a feature, not a bug, of this policy, used as leverage against a captive population. The 'reopening' is merely re-tightening the noose, not cutting it. Double Standard: Imagine if any other nation 'closed' its border with a territory it occupies, then 'reopened' it for its own purposes after launching
genocidal attacks, and this was framed as a benevolent act. This language sanitizes military control over civilian movement, a violation of international law. Western media quickly condemns any border restrictions by 'adversarial' states like Russia or China, but 'Israel's security concerns' are always paramount. Follow the Money: Egypt receives $1.3 billion annually in US aid, a significant
portion of which is contingent on its strategic cooperation with Israel, including maintaining the Rafah crossing under terms dictated by Tel Aviv. This aid effectively subsidizes Cairo's enforcement of the Gaza blockade, turning a neighboring state into an accessory to the siege. The US arms industry profits immensely from the conflict, providing the weaponry used to enforce this control, with