Recurring claim

"Egypt blockades Gaza too — why is only Israel blamed?"

Their strongest version

Egypt has kept Rafah heavily restricted for long periods, destroyed smuggling tunnels, and shares responsibility for Gaza's isolation.

The response

Partly true, and worth conceding: Egypt's closures have deepened Gaza's suffering and deserve criticism — Palestinians give it plenty. But the symmetry breaks on the facts. Rafah is a passenger crossing, not a cargo artery. The goods lifeline at Kerem Shalom, the airspace, the sea, the fishing limits, the population registry, and the approval of what enters — all are controlled by Israel. Egypt's Rafah policy itself runs under a coordination regime with Israel, which Israel has enforced, including by seizing the Gaza side of Rafah in 2024. An occupying power's legal obligations attach to whoever has effective control. A neighbor's bad policy doesn't transfer them. Criticize both. Only one is legally responsible for the population it controls.

Don’t

Don't absolve Egypt to keep the frame clean — conceding its share of blame is both true and what makes the control analysis credible.
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