Al-Azhar deletes Gaza solidarity statement after warning from Egypt’s foreign minister

Egypt’s leading Islamic authority, Al-Azhar, came under criticism this week after it abruptly removed a strongly worded statement condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza from its official social media accounts, reportedly following pressure from Egypt’s foreign ministry.

The deleted statement, posted briefly on 22 July, condemned Israel for committing genocide and deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza, and warned that those supporting such crimes, directly or indirectly, would be held accountable.

“Anyone who provides this entity with weapons, supports it through political resolutions, or offers hypocritical words of encouragement is a partner in this genocide,” Al-Azhar’s statement said. “They will be held accountable by the Just Judge, the Almighty Avenger, on the Day when neither wealth nor sons will be of any benefit.”

The post was deleted without explanation, sparking widespread speculation on social media.

According to Egyptian news outlet, the retraction followed direct communication from Egypt’s new foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty. Citing a source close to Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, Egyptian sources reported that Badr Abdelatty reportedly told Al-Azhar to remove the statement to avoid derailing sensitive negotiations over humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“Had Al-Azhar not retracted the statement, the talks would have been blown up,” the source reportedly said.

Read: Egypt’s Al-Azhar decries Israel’s ‘black terrorism’ amid deadly airstrikes on Gaza

Under pressure, Al-Tayyeb ultimately chose to delete the statement. A follow-up clarification posted by Al-Azhar framed the decision as one of moral responsibility, explaining that although the statement was truthful, its publication could be exploited by Israel as an excuse to obstruct negotiations or delay the entry of humanitarian assistance.

“Al-Azhar courageously and responsibly retracted its statement before God when it realised that it might negatively impact ongoing negotiations for a humanitarian truce in Gaza — aimed at saving innocent lives and not giving others a pretext to back out or use the statement as a bargaining chip,” the clarifying statement said.

The move has drawn backlash from supporters of Palestinian rights who see it as a capitulation to political pressure.

Since October, more than 59,000 Palestinians, including at least 20,000 children, have been killed in Israel’s military onslaught on Gaza. The International Court of Justice has found it plausible that Israel is committing genocide, and human rights groups have documented widespread use of starvation, destruction of civilian infrastructure and denial of aid as weapons of war.