Egypt-Israel Diplomatic Tensions Rise as Rafah Crossing Battle Escalates

Egypt-Israel Diplomatic Tensions Rise as Rafah Crossing Battle Escalates

2024-05-14 08:40:42

The Wall Road Journal cited Egyptian officers as saying that Egypt is now contemplating scaling once more diplomatic ties with Israel, following the Israeli navy took management of the Palestinian aspect of the Rafah crossing.

Egypt mentioned in current days it will be a part of the lawsuit in South Africa accusing Israel of genocide, and Egypt refused to reopen its border with Gaza following Israeli forces seized the Palestinian aspect of the crossing.

Egyptian officers say, in response to the Wall Road Journal, that the present confrontation started when Israel warned Egypt simply hours of the launch of the navy operation final week by which the Israeli military took management of Gaza aspect of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. .

The shock message, delivered unexpectedly to Egyptian intelligence officers on Could 6, got here following months of delicate negotiations between the Israeli and Egyptian navy and intelligence providers over the assault on Rafah, the place greater than 1,000,000 Palestinians.

Israel had beforehand knowledgeable Egypt of its plans for Rafah, reassuring Cairo that the crossing, a serious entry level for humanitarian support into the besieged enclave, wouldn’t be affected and that the Palestinians would have weeks to evacuate the world safely.

An Egyptian official mentioned: “None of those assurances got here to fruition, as Israel gave us very quick discover earlier than coming into the terminal. »

The Israeli navy declined to remark and the Israeli International Ministry didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned management of the Rafah crossing was mandatory to chop off Hamas’ smuggling routes.

Egypt is a key mediator in oblique negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a deal to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas and impose a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israel says the present operation in Rafah doesn’t but represent a full floor invasion of town, although the offensive has already displaced practically 360,000 Palestinians, in response to the United Nations.

Egypt additionally refuses to cooperate with Israel in working the Rafah crossing, which till final week was the final remaining entry level into Gaza and was not below full Israeli management.

Egyptian officers say they’re contemplating downgrading diplomatic relations with Israel by withdrawing the nation’s ambassador in Tel Aviv, in response to the Wall Road Journal.

One other Egyptian official, referring to the Camp David Accords that led to the 1979 peace treaty, mentioned: “At current, there aren’t any plans to droop relations or do away with Camp David, however so long as Israeli forces stay on the Rafah crossing, Egypt won’t ship a single truck to Rafah.

The battle in Gaza has led to financial and political strain on Egypt, essentially the most populous nation within the Center East.

The assault, which pressured a lot of the Gaza Strip’s 2.2 million residents to flee their houses, raised fears in Cairo of a mass exodus of Palestinians to Egypt.

Israel’s seize of the Rafah crossing led to strain on Egypt, as a result of this terminal constitutes, in response to the newspaper, one of many nation’s factors of affect over Hamas and a serious technique of displaying its solidarity with the Palestinians, observers on either side say.

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