Photos of trucks carrying concrete barriers in front of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt have spread on social media, with the claim that the photos are recent, showing the closure of the Rafah crossing gate on the Egyptian side with a long concrete wall. The photo was accompanied by the following text: “#Egypt closes the Rafah crossing gate on the #Egyptian #side with a #long concrete wall.”
Kashif verified the images and found them to be old. They were circulated in October 2023 and show trucks removing concrete barriers in front of the Rafah crossing gate on the Egyptian side to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Russia Today published the photo in a report dated 19/10/2023, with the title: “Removal of cement barriers begins, and the Rafah crossing gate opens from the Egyptian side.”
Al-Masry Al-Youm channel also published the same photo on 20/10/2023, explaining that the photo documents: “Beginning of the removal of concrete barriers in front of the Egyptian Rafah crossing in preparation for the limited entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip this morning, Friday.”
An account called zuma_officialll also posted a video on TikTok on 20/10/2023, documenting trucks and workers in front of the Rafah crossing, with the following description: “Removing concrete barriers in front of the Rafah crossing gate.”
The Gaza Strip is witnessing a worsening humanitarian crisis due to the complete closure of all crossings by the Israeli occupation, most notably the Rafah land crossing, which was re-closed on 2/3/2025, shortly after its reopening on 1/2/2025, during which 50 sick and wounded people left for Egypt. This followed the breakdown of truce negotiations and the resumption of Israeli military operations in the Strip on 1/3/2025.
In addition, the Israeli occupation continues to close the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing and the Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, completely paralyzing humanitarian aid flows. As a result, more than 2,000 aid trucks have piled up on the Egyptian side, while no fuel, food, or medical supplies are allowed in, amid international warnings of an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.
According to the World Food Programme, more than 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, while the World Health Organization has confirmed that thousands of sick and injured people are deprived of treatment because they are prevented from leaving the Strip.
| Sources of Claim | Sources of Verification |
| Rafah Service “Official Page” Media Professional Bahaa Haddad Murad Al-Suwaisi Mahmoud Abu Mahfouz Ahmed Azzam | Russia Today Channel Al-Masry Al-Youm Channel zuma_officialll CNN Arabic Middle East |
