An Egyptian security source responded, on Wednesday, to statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding not opening the Rafah crossing.
Egyptian media quoted the sovereign source as saying, “Egypt will not allow the evacuation of foreigners in the Gaza Strip, and the escalation will be met with an escalation.”
Media reports quoted Netanyahu as saying: “We will not allow Egypt to open the Rafah crossing or bring any aid into the Gaza Strip.”
For his part, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said, in a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday, that “the forced displacement of Palestinians cannot be allowed.”
The Egyptian President added that he discussed with the German Chancellor Egypt’s efforts to calm the situation in Gaza, noting that he “suggested transferring civilians from Gaza to the Israeli Negev Desert until the end of military operations.”
Al-Sisi continued, saying: “Displacement” of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt may lead to “displacement” from the West Bank to Jordan.
He explained: “Egypt has not closed the Rafah crossing since the beginning of the crisis, but the Israeli bombing prevented it from operating.”
Declaration of mourning in Egypt
On the other hand, the Egyptian presidential spokesman said that Sisi decided to declare public mourning in Egypt.
He explained, “Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi decided to declare a state of general mourning throughout the Arab Republic of Egypt for a period of three days, in mourning for the lives of the innocent victims of the crime of bombing the National Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip, and for all the martyrs of the brotherly Palestinian people.”
2023-10-18 11:43:16
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