Israeli Attack in Philadelphia Axis Raises Tensions in Egyptian-Israeli Relations

The Salah al-Din Axis, known as the “Philadelphia Axis,” extends within the Gaza Strip from the Mediterranean Sea north to the Kerem Shalom crossing south of the Egyptian border, which is approximately 14 kilometers .

In an attempt by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to downplay the seriousness of the attack despite all the Egyptian warnings, his spokesman Ofir Gendelman said, “The military operation launched by the Israeli forces is not at a crossroads – the Rafah road affecting the peace treaty with Egypt. “

Gendelman explained in a special briefing about the war on the “X” platform that Israel is aware of its vulnerability in relation to military operations against Hamas near the Egyptian border.

The spokesman also said: “We confirm that this operation does not violate the terms of the peace agreement between the two countries at all, but that it comes within the framework of efforts to beat terrorism and security and increasing stability in this sector on both sides of. the end.”

What is downtown Philadelphia?

• The name Philadelphia Axis or Salah al-Din Axis is given to a strip that extends along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
• It is located within the buffer zone D under the peace treaty signed by Egypt and Israel in 1979.
• The peace treaty between Egypt and Israel places quantitative and qualitative limitations on the use of forces on both sides of the border, including the Egyptian side of the axis.
• Israel controlled the Philadelphia axis within its control of Area D, to which it belongs, until it withdrew from Gaza and handed it over to the Palestinian Authority in 2005.
• In the same year, a new agreement was signed to regulate the presence of forces in the Axis region, and allowed for Egyptian-Israeli security coordination.
• Egypt and Israel use a small number of forces on their side of the axis, to prevent infiltration and smuggling activities.

Agreement of Philadelphia

• In September 2005, the “Philadelphia Agreement” was signed between Israel and Egypt, according to which Israel withdrew from the “Philadelphia” axis and handed it over, along with the Rafah crossing, to Palestinian Authority.
• In late 2013, Egypt tightened the border area and built a steel wall, which it said was intended to prevent the infiltration of “militants” and “terrorists” into its territory.
• Later, a transverse canal was dug from the sea coast in the north to the Rafah crossing in the south, to establish a border buffer zone that extended about 5 kilometers, with the aim of eliminating the tunnels of the “Philadelphia” axis.

On Tuesday, Israel recently launched a military operation in Rafah, and took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

He announced that Israeli forces are continuing their limited and limited military operations at the Rafah crossing, and “will continue to do so until Hamas is eliminated and the enemies are recaptured.” “

The first Egyptian response to Israel’s “break”.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Egypt warned that the Israeli operation in the city of Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip threatens the fate of the hard efforts made to reach a lasting peace inside Gaza.

The statement said that Egypt believes that this “dangerous escalation” threatens the lives of more than a million Palestinians.

The Egyptian statement came shortly after the Israeli army took control of the crucial Rafah border between the Palestinian Strip and Egypt.

The Israeli promise

The Haaretz newspaper revealed that Israel promised the United States and Egypt “only work” on the eastern side of the city of Rafah in Gaza, and not to damage the infrastructure.

According to the same report, Israel’s plan in Rafah calls for a focus on wresting control of the Rafah crossing from Hamas, with the aim of “preventing the smuggling of weapons and goods another forbidden,” according to Israel’s opinion.

Haaretz reported that Israel is trying to transfer control of the Rafah crossing to a private American security company, after the Israeli army ended its “limited military campaign” there.

At the beginning of this year, Israeli political and media sources revealed that Israel told Egypt that it intends to enter the Rafah area and the Philadelphia axis south of Gaza, but “will not remain in the area permanently. “

According to the sources, “the case angered the Egyptian side, which opposed the request with strong opposition. Negotiations between the two parties began, when the Israeli side tried to calm Egypt down and promised without moving the Palestinians to Egyptian territory.