If the ground war intensifies in Rafah, where more than 1 million people have taken refuge,
Large number of Gazans can escape to Egypt
U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who is on another trip to the Middle East to achieve a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of hostages held in Gaza, visited Egypt on the 6th and met with leaders.
Egypt has been acting as a mediator with Qatar and the United States for the exchange and release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
However, recently, as the focus of Israel’s ground war has shifted to Rafah, the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, it has become more concerned about its own territorial issues. Outside of Rafa is Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Israel made Egypt uncomfortable by revealing its intention to take over the security of the southern blockade line and the Rafah crossing point, which Egypt is currently the only one among the four sides of Gaza.
Egypt warned Israel that its deployment of troops along the Philadelphia Corridor in the southern blockade was contrary to the 1979 peace agreement between the two countries.
Currently, in the Gaza Strip, the area where residents have been forced to evacuate and take refuge by the Israeli military has reached two-thirds of the total area of Gaza. As Palestinians have no place to go, they are all flocking to Rafah, and more than half of Gaza’s total population of 2.3 million is already crammed into a small area of land.
The UN is complaining every day that the humanitarian crisis is worsening day by day due to a severe shortage of places to sleep, food, and drinking water.
On a different level from the UN’s concerns, Egypt is concerned that if Israel relentlessly launches a ground war to oust Hamas from Rafah, where more than 1 million people are concentrated, Gaza refugees will be forced to cross over to Rafah, Sinai, on the Egyptian side.
Massive refuge, escape, or expulsion of Gazans to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula is a worst-case scenario that Egypt cannot accept.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi on this day and reiterated his previous assertion that ‘Palestinians in Gaza should never be forcibly evicted from Gaza and deported to places such as Sinai in Egypt,’ expressing concern about Egypt. It seems that they want to reduce .
Secretary Blinken has made it clear from the beginning of the war that the reoccupation and siege of the Gaza Strip by Israel cannot be permitted. This includes the expulsion of Gazans out of Gaza and opposition to Israel’s ‘defunding’ of Gaza territory adjacent to the blockade, which it claims is a buffer zone.
Egypt, Qatar, and the United States met in Paris 10 days ago and came up with a plan for a second ceasefire and hostage release, which was approved by Israel and delivered to Hamas. Hamas is only saying that it will continue to study and review this, and as such, the mediation role of Qatar and Egypt is becoming more important.
Secretary Blinken will be able to hear about the progress of mediation from Egypt on this day. Blinken could also order Egypt to play a significant role in the post-war Gaza plan. Israel also appears to have acknowledged this issue.
Secretary Blinken and the United States prefer a plan in which the current Eight Autonomous Governments are transformed and take the lead in ruling Gaza after the war, despite Israel’s opposition. At this time, Egypt can play a role.
Meanwhile, Secretary Blinken visited Saudi Arabia the day before and will go to Qatar following Egypt on the same day.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.