New satellite images reveal Egypt levelling land and constructing a wall along the Gaza periphery, triggering concerns that Cairo is preparing for a looming Palestinian refugee influx. The activity near the Rafah border crossing is believed to be creating a holding area to contain masses potentially fleeing escalating Israel-Hamas clashes.
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The construction follows repeated Egyptian warnings against Israel forcefully expelling over 1 million displaced Gazans during military offensives. While Israel’s defence minister denies mass evacuation plans, remarks by other officials continue stoking alarm.
In October 2022, an Israeli intelligence proposal suggested temporarily relocating Gaza’s population to Sinai tent cities before establishing permanent settlements. And the current Israeli government has exhibited a willingness to override US opposition regarding extreme occupied territory measures.
The scenes on the Egyptian side indicate Cairo is bracing for the worst-case probability of sudden mass refugee arrivals despite working to avert such an outcome. With Israel gearing up to assault Rafah, the spectre of civilian displacement looms.
Israel insists it does not intend to harm Palestinians, claiming it would return Gazans once Hamas is “dematerialized.” But proposals to squeeze hundreds of thousands into other areas of devastated Gaza could swiftly prove catastrophic.
While Foreign Minister Katz discussed coordinating with Cairo about handling Rafah, critics remain sceptical about vague relocation rhetoric. Western officials have dreaded the possibility of a chaotic Gaza refugee spillover into Sinai that could upturn regional order.
For Egypt, refusal to be caught off-guard as Gaza sinks into a more profound crisis could be intended more as leverage on Israel. But the rising concrete barriers highlight a real danger that years of repetitive wars may ultimately render Gaza unviable.
As Middle East peace efforts flounder, the construction constitutes another stark warning. If conflict resolution and humanitarian appeals continue failing, current violence threatens to culminate in the nightmare of another Palestinian exodus unfolding at Egypt’s threshold.
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