Sexually explicit video leak used to pressure Egypt to end 'Israel' gas deal

Egypt has been rocked by an unprecedented online blackmail campaign, targeting one of its most senior security officials just days after Cairo signed a landmark natural gas agreement with the Israeli Occupation.

A shadowy, anonymous account that goes by "El Malak", or "King," circulated an eight-minute video online this week, claiming to show Deputy Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Khaled Arafa engaged in a sexually explicit video call.

The video, widely circulated on social media platforms like X, includes a masked individual delivering a scathing critique of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s administration. The speaker accuses the government of betraying Egypt by deepening economic ties with 'Israel' while Gaza faces famine and a prolonged siege.

The anonymous speaker, voice concealed, made demands aimed squarely at Egypt’s leadership:

• Cancel the newly signed USD 35 billion gas deal with 'Israel'.

• Open the Rafah border crossing to allow food and medical aid into Gaza.

• Prevent domestic unrest by easing state repression.

“Don’t resist me, Sisi,” the narrator declared in the video, addressing President Sisi directly. “I haven’t said anything yet and I don’t want to. But if those around you insist, I’ll expose everything, and I won’t show consideration for anyone.”

- A scandal wrapped around a gas pact -

The timing of the leak is critical. Only days earlier, Egypt unveiled the largest energy deal in its modern history: a USD 35 billion agreement with NewMed Energy and Chevron, operators of 'Israel’s' Leviathan offshore gas field. Under the contract, Egypt will import 130 billion cubic meters of 'Israeli' natural gas through 2040.

Read more: “Israel”, Egypt sign record $35 billion gas deal

The deal is also expected to generate hundreds of millions of shekels in state revenue from royalties and taxes.

For Cairo, the deal is a lifeline. Domestic energy shortages have deepened an already fragile economy, with spiraling inflation and a mounting foreign currency crisis. Officials portray the agreement as essential to stabilizing supply and keeping lights on in Egyptian households.

Additionally, Egypt’s domestic gas production has been in sharp decline, falling from a peak of 71 bcm in 2021 to just 45 bcm in 2024, largely due to reduced output from its primary Zohr field.

This energy deficit has led to expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports and planned rolling blackouts that have sparked public anger in the country.

But critics argue the pact locks Egypt into unprecedented dependence on 'Israel', a state considered as an “enemy” by many Egyptians.

The anonymous leak’s narrator tapped into that public sentiment, framing the gas deal as a betrayal of Gaza. “You sold our food and gas to an adversary who knows no religion or humanity,” the voice charged.

- The Rafah Border Crossing -

The Rafah Border Crossing has been a focal point of contention since 'Israel’s' blockade intensified following October 7, 2023. Egypt has maintained that its side of the crossing remains open, but 'Israeli' airstrikes and control over the Palestinian side have rendered it largely inoperable, blocking vital aid and trapping civilians.

- Broader implications - 

Whether genuine or staged, the leak touches raw nerves:

• Public perception of Egypt’s ruling class.

• Growing anger over Gaza, where hunger and disease spread under blockade.

The threat to “release more names, with audio and video” suggests this may only be the beginning.

“I’ll keep exposing it all, and no one can stop me,” the anonymous voice promised.