As Egypt and Jordan come under growing scrutiny for their roles in the Gaza crisis, Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh has said that the two countries are being targeted by what he described as a coordinated campaign to undermine their regional standing.
In a post on X, Al-Sheikh asserted that “this smear campaign is not random,” adding, “It is part of deliberate efforts to weaken their positions and disrupt any semblance of Arab balance.”
Al-Sheikh’s warning comes amid recent remarks by Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya, who called on Egyptians and Jordanians to “march towards Palestine by land and sea and besiege embassies.”
In a recent speech, Al-Hayya also accused Egypt of allowing Gazans to die at the Rafah border, describing the crossing as a “gateway to death and starvation” due to its closure.
“We await a decisive statement from great Egypt: Gaza will not starve,” he said. He also urged Jordanians to intensify protests and resist what he called Israel’s plans to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque and establish an “alternative homeland” for Palestinians.
Al-Hayya also questioned Egypt’s role in preventing the mass starvation unfolding in Gaza under Israeli blockade. “Are your brothers in Gaza dying of hunger while they are at your border, so close to you?” he asked, echoing widespread frustration over the humanitarian bottleneck at Rafah.
In addition to his criticism of Egypt, Al-Hayya called on Jordanians to sustain their “popular uprising” in protest against Israeli actions in Gaza.
The remarks drew a sharp response from Amman, where officials stressed that “the Jordanian people act independently and are not influenced by external directives or Palestinian factions.”
Al-Sheikh said that those criticizing Egypt and Jordan were willfully ignoring their historical and ongoing support for the Palestinian cause, including their opposition to the forced displacement of Palestinians and their efforts to secure international recognition for a Palestinian state.
This commitment to the Palestinian cause, he noted, positions Egypt and Jordan on the front lines of regional stability, as they bear the burden of shielding the region from further chaos.
Back in January, the Trump administration proposed that Egypt and Jordan host Palestinians displaced from Gaza. The idea was swiftly rejected by the Arab states and condemned by human rights groups as a form of ethnic cleansing.
Al-Sheikh is not the only Palestinian official to push back against Al-Hayya’s remarks. Chairman of the Palestinian National Council Rawhi Fattouh also condemned Al-Hayya’s remarks as an attempt to deflect from Hamas’s internal crisis. He accused the group of scapegoating Egypt and Jordan to escape accountability for its failed policies.
“This is political evasion that only worsens the suffering of our people in Gaza,” Fattouh said.
As Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepened in recent days, calls to reopen the Rafah border crossing surged on social media. The Egyptian government, however, continues to insist the crossing remains open on its side and has not been closed at any point during the Gaza crisis. Meanwhile, control of the Palestinian side of the crossing has been in the hands of Israel since May 7, 2024.
“Egypt has insisted on playing a constructive role with Qatar and the US since October 7,” El-Sisi asserted, adding, “Our focus has been threefold: stop the war, deliver aid, and secure the release of hostages.”
Over the past week, Egyptian embassies and diplomatic missions abroad have faced protests demanding the opening of the Rafah crossing and more aid for Gaza. In the Netherlands, an Egyptian activist locked embassy staff out of the building, claiming the act mirrored Egypt’s closure of the border.
Protests later spread to diplomatic posts in Lebanon, Syria, the UK, Denmark, Canada, Tunisia, Libya and South Africa, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Meanwhile, calls to open the Rafah crossing have resurged on social media, as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens. Egypt maintains that the crossing is open on its side, but access has been blocked by Israeli forces since May 7.
