As Israeli bombardment disrupts crossings at the primary exit point from the Gaza Strip, Egypt is actively working to avert a potential mass exodus into its Sinai Peninsula. Gaza officials and Egyptian security sources report that Israel’s assault on Gaza has raised significant concerns in Egypt. The Egyptian government has urged Israel to facilitate the safe passage of civilians from Gaza, discouraging them from fleeing southwest towards the Sinai region.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi addressed the escalating crisis, emphasizing its high level of danger. Egypt is actively engaged in pursuing a diplomatic solution to the ongoing violence in collaboration with regional and international partners. President Sisi made it clear that Egypt would not allow the situation to be resolved at the expense of others, hinting at the risk of Palestinians being pushed into the Sinai Peninsula.
The crucial Rafah border crossing, the sole potential gateway into Sinai for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, remains closed. Egyptian military aircraft have conducted flights nearby overnight, and the military has established new positions near the border, conducting patrols to monitor the area, according to Ahmed Salem of the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights.
The densely populated Gaza Strip is largely surrounded by the sea and Israel, which has declared a total siege of Gaza and is contemplating a potential ground offensive. The movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza is strictly controlled due to blockades enforced by both Egypt and Israel.
In a significant development, the Israeli military revised a recommendation to Palestinians fleeing air strikes in Gaza, urging them not to head to Egypt.
Egypt, the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel, has a history of mediating between Israel and Palestinian factions during previous Gaza conflicts. Egypt is striving to prevent further escalation in the current hostilities.
Gaza’s Hamas-run Interior Ministry reported that bombardments on consecutive days hit an entry gate on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which was also closed from the Egyptian side. Palestinians planning to travel to Gaza retreated to the main city of Al Arish in North Sinai.
On Monday, a limited number of people left Gaza through the Rafah crossing, and approximately 500 people entered, though the movement of goods was halted. The security situation around Rafah is of paramount concern to Egypt due to the history of an Islamist insurgency in northern Sinai.
Egypt’s military has recently reinforced control over northern Sinai, facing sporadic attacks in the region. Notably, Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, shares an Islamist ideology with the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement in Egypt.
