The New York Times highlighted an Egyptian company that transports Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egypt at great prices, highlighting the suffering of Palestinians who are forced to collect thousands of dollars in order to be able to save their families.
According to what the Palestinian ambassador to Egypt, Diab Al-Louh, said, about 100,000 Palestinians have left the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israeli aggression on October 7.
The newspaper transmits testimonies from Palestinians who left the Gaza Strip or contributed to the expulsion of their families and relatives from it, pointing out their great suffering in obtaining huge sums required by the “Hala” company, which is owned by the Egyptian businessman Ibrahim Al-Arjani.
The company “Hala Consulting and Tourism Services Company” charges $5,000 to coordinate the exit of most people aged 16 years and above, and $2,500 for most people under this age, according to testimonies reported by the newspaper.
However, Ibrahim Al-Arjani doubts that the company collected these amounts, and said that children traveled for free while adults paid $2,500, explaining that the services provided by the company are high-end “VIP,” and that operating costs increased significantly during the war. .
Al-Arjani also said that the increasing demand during wartime for services such as the trip from the Rafah crossing to Cairo forced the company to raise its prices.
High costs
The New York Times refers to an interview conducted with Al-Arjani in his office in Cairo, where he said that his role in Hala is limited, and that he is merely one of many shareholders.
Al-Arjani described Hala as a tourism company “like any company present at the airport,” explaining that it was established in 2017 to provide services to VIPs.
He added, “I only help them when they want to use high-end services, such as having breakfast and then heading to Cairo in a beautiful BMW car, to have a rest, and then leave for their destination,” adding, “Our role is to provide the best possible service, that’s all.”
However, the newspaper quoted many Palestinians who dealt with Hala during the war as saying that they did not receive any special service, but were transported to Cairo in a small bus and received only simple food.
Israeli Army Radio said on Wednesday that the Rafah crossing was no longer usable after the Palestinian side of it was completely destroyed.
A video clip published by the radio – via the X platform – showed the massive destruction caused by the Israeli occupation army at the crossing, where the main hall appears to have been leveled to the ground, in addition to the destruction of the surrounding buildings.