Egypt’s top Islamic institution, Al-Azhar, deleted a statement condemning Israel over the famine in Gaza after what sources described as pressure from senior state officials.
A source close to Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb told Al Manassa he removed the statement from Al-Azhar’s official Facebook page late Tuesday following a call from “senior officials.” According to the source, these officials used “emotional blackmail” tactics, allegedly employed to safeguard an ongoing diplomatic track to end the war.
The deleted statement had described the situation in Gaza as a “deadly famine imposed by the Israeli occupation” and called for an urgent global appeal to “all living consciences” to help save Palestinian civilians.
It also stated that the mass killings and deliberate starvation in Gaza amounted to a “full-fledged genocide,” placing responsibility not only on those supplying Israel with weapons but also those “silent” in the face of such crimes.
“Al-Azhar absolves itself before Allah of this disturbing global silence,” the post read, criticizing international inaction and rejecting any proposals to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza. It went on to condemn anyone who accepted or cooperated with such plans.
The statement had also urged the international community to immediately allow humanitarian aid and open medical corridors, reiterating the institution’s rejection of any efforts to expel Palestinians from their land.
Al-Azhar issued a clarification today on Facebook, stating that the statement was withdrawn out of a sense of religious responsibility.
The institution explained its fear that the post could jeopardize ongoing ceasefire negotiations and be misused as a pretext to stall talks. Its decision, Al-Azhar emphasized, was driven by hopes to save civilian lives in Gaza and ensure humanitarian aid reaches the besieged population.
The source also emphasized that the Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb was not threatened, but rather persuaded that removing the post could facilitate the entry of aid to the besieged enclave.
“If deleting the statement would allow even one sack of flour into Gaza, I would do it immediately,” Al-Tayeb reportedly said, before choosing to take it down.
Another source within Al-Azhar said the request to delete the post came not from security services but from a minister in a sovereign body, who briefed Al-Tayeb on the latest diplomatic developments.
“The imam does not seek to appear heroic, he just wants the suffering to end,” the source added.
On March 18, Israel resumed its devastating military campaign on Gaza. The assault follows a broken cease-fire deal, brokered in January, that was meant to end with the exchange of captives and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Since then, Israel has kept border crossings shut, relentlessly denying entry to humanitarian convoys.
With the escalating human toll, cease-fire efforts remain ongoing, with no immediate deal in sight. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US are engaged in talks, with a proposal of a 60-day halt to hostilities on the table.
