Caught in Israel's devastating assault on their enclave, Gazans without foreign passports have been turning to Egyptian travel agencies for a costly escape from Israeli bombardments. Amid reports of profiteering by brokers, Cairo-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam meets Palestinians who have been fundraising thousands of dollars that travel agents in Egypt are charging for each family member to secure safe passage through the Egyptian-administered, Israeli-monitored Rafah border crossing. Captions by Elle Kurancid.
Egypt’s Rafah border: The costs of fleeing Gaza
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Etemad Abu Tahoun, a Palestinian mother and journalist, takes in news from Gaza, where her only son and ailing father languish. The screen reads: “A Palestinian mother’s happiness knowing that her son is alive.” Cairo, Egypt, April 1, 2024.
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Etemad Abu Tahoun, like hundreds of Palestinians, is fundraising to pay for the evacuation of a loved one from Gaza. Her son, Momen, whose home and university in the north were bombed, now lives in fear of another Israeli military assault. Cairo, Egypt, April 1, 2024.
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“I’ll help my son escape death, and his presence will be my support as I navigate the challenges ahead,” says Etemad Abu Tahoun, who is also battling various debilitating illnesses, like rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. Cairo, Egypt, April 1, 2024.
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Hundreds rally at the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate, chanting “Gaza is suffocating, open the Rafah border!” Days later, Egypt announced an increase in aid to the Strip with 300 trucks daily, or half the pre-war rate. Cairo, Egypt, April 3, 2024.
