Relations between Egypt and Israel are experiencing an atmosphere of extreme tension, not witnessed in years, which was evident in Cairo’s talk about the dangers affecting “Egyptian national security.” As a result of the ongoing escalation in the Gaza Strip.
The most prominent of these risks appeared in Israeli proposals to transfer the residents of Gaza to the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, which were repeated in previous years and were met with strict Egyptian rejection.
Two political analysts, an Egyptian and a Palestinian, monitored for Sky News Arabia what they expect the level of tension between the two countries to reach in the coming days, and the impact this will have on the possibility of Egypt playing its usual role in mediating between the Palestinian factions and Israel to stop the violence.
Al-Sisi: The forced displacement of Palestinians cannot be allowed
The most prominent diplomatic clashes
Over the course of 13 days since the outbreak of attacks between Palestinian factions and Israel, officials in Egypt and Israel have exchanged statements that reveal the sharp disagreement over dealing with this conflict:
The Israeli army spokesman called on the residents of Gaza to leave the Strip and move towards the south, that is, towards the Egyptian border. Leader of the “Israel Our Home” party, Danny Ayalon, a party participating in the war government formed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in cooperation with former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, proposed transferring the residents of Gaza to the Sinai Peninsula. In a press conference held with German Chancellor Olaf Schulz in Cairo on Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi confirmed his rejection of Israeli signals to transfer Gaza residents to Sinai, considering that the attacks on Gaza are intended to implement this proposal. Sisi suggested that “if it is necessary to transfer the citizens of the Strip outside it until the end of military operations, Israel can transfer them to the Negev Desert.” Cairo accuses Tel Peep of obstructing the entry of food and medical aid trucks from the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing into Gaza, after the Palestinian side of the crossing was subjected to Israeli bombing 4 times. Which means there is a danger to the truck passengers. In response, Egypt refused the exit of foreign nationals inside Gaza from the Rafah crossing into Egypt. So that they could return to their country, except after allowing aid to enter, and the Cairo News Channel quoted an Egyptian sovereign source as saying that “the escalation will be met with an escalation.”
Palestinian government: Israel plans to forcibly displace the residents of Gaza
The worst hypotheses
In the words of Salah Gomaa, a journalist at the (Egyptian government) Middle East News Agency, who specializes in Palestinian affairs, relations between Egypt and Israel “were never intimate; they were just a normal relationship.”
“But these normal relations have been greatly affected these days due to Egypt’s position in support of the Palestinians and rejecting Israeli intentions to displace the Palestinians to Sinai,” according to Gomaa.
He believes that Egypt relies in this position on the agreement of the Egyptian people regarding its political leadership, as well as on the failure of the Palestinian people to respond to the plan to displace them.
Regarding the “worst hypotheses” that could happen between the two countries, the Egyptian writer says that it is withdrawing ambassadors and severing relations, “however, this is highly unlikely, because both sides are certain that maintaining the diplomatic situation is important for communication and coordination in an attempt to resolve matters.”
What if the crisis lasts?
Palestinian political analyst, Nadhar Jabr, describes Egypt as “the closest Arab country to the issue, as its borders are threatened by inflammatory events, in addition to the emergence of Israeli calls to displace the Palestinians to Sinai.”
In his estimation, despite this “clear tension in public, matters did not reach the point of severing relations; maintaining diplomatic representation is in the interest of the Palestinians.”
However, if the crisis lasts for a long time, Jabr does not rule out that “a major regional crisis will erupt, casting a shadow on all parties.”
King Abdullah II: There are no refugees in Jordan and no refugees in Egypt
Regarding Egypt’s role in mediating to stop attacks between Palestinian factions and Israel, the Palestinian analyst says: “We cannot say that Egypt at this time is a country seeking mediation, but it is a country concerned with the crisis because of calls for displacement.”
On Wednesday, Egypt witnessed many protests in several universities, unions, and in the streets against calls to transfer the Palestinians to Sinai, and popular marches supporting the Egyptian President’s proposal to transfer them, if necessary, to the Negev.
Regarding the crisis of aid trucks parked near the Rafah crossing and in Al-Arish in Sinai; Waiting to enter Gaza, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, received on Thursday the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, who stressed an “immediate and humanitarian ceasefire” and the arrival of “rapid and unhindered” aid to Gaza.
For his part, Shukri affirmed his country’s keenness to continue operating the Rafah crossing, stressing regarding ending the entire crisis by saying: “We see no alternative but for the parties to return to the negotiating table, to activate the two-state solution.”
2023-10-20 11:06:51
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