Two young Egyptian men who took part in a bold action to protest Egypt's complicity in the Israeli-led blockade of Gaza have been forcibly disappeared, according to sources close to their families and human rights organizations.

Mohsen Mustafa, 27, and his 23-year-old cousin Ahmed Sherif Ahmed Abdel Wahab have not been seen or heard from since 25 July, the day they allegedly participated in the storming of the State Security headquarters at the Ma’asara police station in Helwan, southern Cairo.

Their disappearance comes after Mohsen posted a brief but defiant message on social media claiming responsibility for the raid, which was carried out by a group identifying themselves as "Iron 17." Shortly after the post went live, his Facebook profile was deleted, and both men vanished without a trace.

In widely circulated videos released via Telegram, young men were seen holding security personnel captive inside the police station. During the action, the group condemned Egypt’s closure of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, which has prevented critical humanitarian aid from reaching Palestinians suffering under Israel’s genocidal siege.

One detained officer admitted on video that the crossing could not be opened, a moment that further fueled public anger. The footage was viewed millions of times before the Telegram channel was deleted.

Just hours before the channel was removed, the group released an audio statement—believed to be from Mustafa and Wahab—rejecting affiliation with any political party and affirming that their action was inspired by the Islamic values of justice and resistance. “We are the heirs of Omar ibn al-Khattab and Amr ibn al-As,” the statement declared.

Instead of addressing the root cause of the protest—the starvation and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza—Egypt’s Interior Ministry quickly dismissed the operation as a fabrication orchestrated by the Muslim Brotherhood. The ministry accused the group of attempting to “undermine Egypt’s support for Palestine,” and claimed those responsible for spreading the footage had been arrested.

But independent sources, including The Egyptian Network for Human Rights (ENHR) and Mada Masr, confirmed the authenticity of the videos. Former detainees recognized the interior of the police facility, and lawyers verified that documents seen in the footage belonged to current detainees under surveillance.

Despite this, the government has refused to acknowledge the incident or the whereabouts of the two missing men. According to a family friend, both Mustafa and Wahab were last heard from on the morning of the raid, when Mustafa, under monthly probation, reported to the police station accompanied by his cousin.

In a chilling escalation, all male members of the family have since been detained, and the household is under constant surveillance. The families now live in fear—not only for the lives of their sons, but also due to the complete erasure of the incident from public record.

The disappearance has taken on new urgency as public rage against the Egyptian regime grows for its ongoing closure of Rafah. The crossing remains the only lifeline for 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza, many of whom are facing death by starvation, disease, and bombardment due to Israel’s blockade, with Egypt’s passive compliance drawing harsh global criticism.

Following the raid, authorities reportedly launched a sweeping crackdown in Helwan, arresting dozens. Rights lawyer Nabih al-Genady noted that the arrests targeted a broad spectrum of people, including some simply for their personal Facebook posts. This comes as two detainees reportedly died in police custody within a 24-hour span.

Meanwhile, protests have erupted in front of Egyptian embassies across Europe, with activists symbolically locking embassy gates to denounce Cairo's betrayal of Palestinians. These demonstrations have drawn renewed attention to the complicity of Arab regimes in Israel's crimes.

The bravery of Mohsen Mustafa and Ahmed Wahab, who dared to take action while others remained silent, has ignited a fire of conscience in a region wracked by oppression and fear. But with their lives now at risk and the state denying their very existence, the world watches and waits. (ILKHA)