Israel calls in reserve forces in preparation for the expansion of the Rafah operation into a confrontation with the Egyptian army

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Updates on the Al-Aqsa Flood operation presented in this episode of Samri Channel.
The American Wall Street Journal reported that Egypt threatened that if a wave of Palestinians crossed the border with Gaza, or if the Israeli army invaded Rafah, the peace agreement with Israel would be suspended. According to the newspaper, Egyptian officials urged their Western counterparts to inform Israel that they consider any move to force Gazans to cross into Sinai as a violation that would effectively suspend the 1979 peace treaty, according to a senior Western diplomat in Cairo. Another senior Western official and two US and Israeli officials said the message was more direct, with Egypt threatening to suspend the treaty if the Israeli army pushes Gazans into Egypt. The Israeli official said that the Egyptian government repeated this warning to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken when Blinken was in Cairo to meet with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The American official said that Egypt has made clear that it is prepared to militarize its borders, perhaps with tanks, if the Palestinians begin to be pushed into Sinai.

The newspaper reported that despite the increasing tensions, Egyptian and Israeli officials are still communicating with each other. The Israeli official said that Israeli and Egyptian military officers, who have a long-standing relationship of trust resulting from security cooperation around the border, are also talking privately about a possible Israeli incursion into Rafah. This official said that in those discussions, the Egyptians asked Israel to limit the scope of the operation. Tel Aviv and Cairo are discussing giving Israel a greater role in securing the narrow buffer zone that runs along the nearly nine-mile border between Egypt and Gaza, the “Philadelphia axis,” according to Haaretz.

The American newspaper reported that in the wake of Egyptian concern, various technological measures such as cameras and sensors were installed on the border with the Gaza Strip in preparation for the possibility of Palestinians attempting to cross into Egypt. Reuters reported that Egypt sent about 40 tanks and armored personnel carriers to northeastern Sinai during the past two weeks to strengthen its presence on the border with Gaza, according to two security sources. Earlier on Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned of "dire effects of any expansion of Israeli military operations south of the Gaza Strip."

The Egyptian minister said during a press conference, "The military operations in southern Gaza herald a more tragic situation, and developments in Rafah will lead to further deterioration in the Strip." He added that "the international community's double standards led to the repercussions of the conflict, which Egypt has repeatedly warned against," and stressed that "the priority is to cease fire and prevent the displacement of Palestinians."

He said, "Cairo witnessed consultations to bring points of view closer together with the aim of reaching a complete ceasefire, the arrival of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and preventing any liquidation of the Palestinian cause." The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Friday evening that the Israeli army had approved a military operation in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

The newspaper pointed out that preparations for an operation in Rafah began weeks ago, and the army has already agreed to a plan that includes the necessity of evacuating displaced Palestinians. The Israeli Channel 12 had revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that the operation in Rafah may begin within two weeks. Earlier, the Israeli Prime Minister indicated that it is not possible to achieve the goals of the war in Gaza and maintain 4 Hamas brigades in Rafah. It is noteworthy that Rafah is a small city along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, and due to Israeli military operations, it has become the last refuge for about 1.4 million displaced, hungry and desperate Gazans, according to the United Nations, most of whom were displaced from other places in Gaza. Netanyahu threatened He invaded Rafah, and directed his forces on Friday

#Egypt
#Palestine
#Gaza