Relationship dossier
Egypt
Palestine
Relationship assessment
Sustained Egyptian mediation and support for Palestinian statehood alongside border and security concerns
Egypt toward Palestine
+35Egypt has supported Palestinian statehood and repeatedly mediated Palestinian reconciliation efforts and ceasefires involving Gaza. Egyptian restrictions and security controls at the Rafah crossing also shape Palestinians’ access to Egypt.
Palestine toward Egypt
+30The Palestinian Authority has engaged with Egyptian-led reconciliation efforts and relied on Egypt’s mediation in disputes involving Palestinian factions and Gaza. Palestinian political divisions complicate the scope of unified cooperation with Cairo.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship is shaped by Egypt’s continuing role in Palestinian diplomacy, reconciliation efforts, and Gaza ceasefire mediation, alongside its security policies at the Rafah border. Palestinian political fragmentation and Egypt’s concerns about security in Sinai and Gaza constrain cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Egypt has supported Palestinian statehood and played a sustained mediating role in Palestinian reconciliation and Gaza ceasefires. Palestinian Authority leaders have engaged with Egypt in these efforts. Relations also involve Egyptian security concerns and restrictions affecting movement through the Rafah crossing, while Palestinian political authority is divided.
Areas of tension
- Egyptian security controls and restrictions affecting movement through the Rafah crossing
- Egypt’s security concerns regarding Hamas and the Gaza–Sinai border
Key developments
Egypt hosted the signing of a Fatah–Hamas reconciliation agreement in Cairo.
Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo following Egyptian mediation.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of coordination between Egypt and Palestinian authorities on border and security arrangements is unclear.
- The effects of Palestinian political divisions on cooperation with Egypt vary over time.