In video obtained by Al Jazeera, Egyptian border guards are seen shooting and killing a Palestinian man after he attempted to swim to freedom from a refugee camp in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip.
According to his cousin Ahmad, Ishaq Khalil Hassan, 28, was shot and killed after he stripped off all of his clothing and jumped into the Mediterranean Sea, hoping to enter into Egypt to get treatment for psychological problems he developed while living in the camp.
"Hassan was unemployed, desperate and deeply frustrated because of his inability to leave Gaza for treatment. But the Egyptians never allowed him to leave or cross the border," Ahmad explained. "I don't think Hassan was fully aware or expecting that the Egyptian army would actually shoot at him."
In the video, Palestinian guards can be seen attempting to wave off the Egyptian snipers high up in a tower as they shot multiple times at the naked and unarmed man. Hassan was eventually hit by gunfire, his body washing up on the shore.
According to Ahmad, the Egyptian guards rival Israel's IDF when it comes to brutality, saying, "The Egyptians are equal, if not even worse, than the Israelis when it comes to their treatment of Palestinians."
The crossing point at Rafah, allowing refugees to enter into Egypt from Gaza, is closed throughout most the year and is only opened by Egypt about three or four times a year.
Watch the video below. Warning, video may be upsetting:
