Satellite image of the construction of a wall on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, February 15, 2024/Reuters
Egypt is establishing a buffer zone on the border with Gaza, where Palestinians can stay in the event that an Israeli attack in Rafah leads to their fleeing across the border - this is what Egyptian officials and a human rights organization said.
Egypt, which denies that it is making such preparations, fears a mass exodus of Gaza residents to the Sinai Peninsula that will become permanent.
The Reuters news agency quoted a source as saying that Egypt is optimistic about the cease-fire talks to avoid such a scenario, but it is establishing this zone on the border as a temporary measure and out of precaution.
Three security sources told Reuters that in recent days Egypt had begun to build a compound in the desert with some basic facilities that could be used as a shelter for the Palestinians, emphasizing that this was an emergency plan.
The head of Egypt's national information system denied the reports.
"It has no grip on reality. Our Palestinian brothers said and Egypt said there are no preparations for this scenario," he emphasized.
Despite this, from documents published by the "Sinai Foundation for Human Rights", a rights organization, working tools were seen near the border with Rafah and concrete barriers.
The organization, citing an anonymous source, said that the construction is intended to establish a safe zone in the event of a mass influx of Palestinians.
Parts of the footage have been verified by Reuters, although it is not clear when it was taken.
At the same time, a contractor and an engineer told the New York Times that the Egyptian military hired their services to build a five-meter-high concrete wall to enclose an area of five square kilometers. They said they began work on February 5 and began work on the wall two days ago. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear to the reaction of the Egyptian authorities.
Despite international concerns, including from the United States, Israel insists that it must operate on the ground in Rafah - where more than a million displaced people from other parts of the Gaza Strip are staying - in order to "defeat" Hamas. The IDF is preparing to evacuate citizens from Rafah to other areas in the Gaza Strip, but in the community The international cast doubt on such a plan in view of the continuation of fighting also in parts of the devastated Gaza Strip.
More on the same topic:
Gaza war
Rafih
Egypt