ISTANBUL 

Egypt accused Israel on Monday of spreading “lies” to divert attention from its failure to secure a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement with Hamas.  

“Israel is spreading lies to distract attention from the failure to reach a prisoner exchange deal in Gaza and implement a cease-fire in the enclave,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told a press conference with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Cairo. 

“We have spent vast amounts on building a security fence and destroying tunnels along the Gaza border,” he added. 

Abdelatty continued, “Whenever we approach an agreement in Gaza, we face 'provocative policies' aimed solely at escalating tensions.” 

There was no immediate Israeli comment yet on the Egyptian minister’s remarks. 

Although Abdelatty did not specify what he meant by “lies,” Egypt had rejected a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday in which he claimed that weapons were being smuggled from Egypt into Gaza through tunnels under the Philadelphi Corridor along the border. 

Egypt viewed Netanyahu's statement as an attempt to hinder mediation efforts to broker an agreement to end Israel's ongoing war on Gaza. 

Cairo rejects any Israeli military presence on the Philadelphi Corridor, a demilitarized zone along Egypt-Gaza border. 

Security officials, opposition figures, and families of Israeli hostages in Gaza have accused Netanyahu of obstructing a deal with Hamas, fearing it could lead to the collapse of his governing coalition and his loss of power. They have been calling for his resignation. 

Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip has killed nearly 41,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 94,800 others, according to local health authorities. 

An ongoing blockade of the enclave has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins. 

Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio