Looks like the original plans of Netanyahu's government are going forward regardless
Egypt appears to be preparing space in Sinai for displaced Palestinians: Report
The Washington Post reports that the Egyptian government appears to be preparing for the possibility of an influx of Palestinians pushed out of Gaza into the Sinai Peninsula if an anticipated Israeli assault on Rafah moves forward. Some Israeli officials have promoted expelling Gaza’s population since the beginning of the war, but Israel’s allies, including the US, have warned that they would not support the forced displacement of Palestinians out of Gaza.
“Egyptian officials have threatened to suspend the countries’ 40-year peace accord if an attack on Rafah forces refugees across the border; new footage obtained by The Washington Post suggests Egypt is preparing for such a scenario,” the Post reported. This week, the UK-based group Sinai Foundation for Human Rights, which has a monitoring team in Sinai, reported that Egypt was constructing a large concrete barrier to contain Palestinian refugees who could be displaced to Egypt.
The Post reported that it has verified video footage and other data showing that Egypt is “clearing debris from a rectangular plot of land measuring about eight square miles [21sq km] adjacent to the Gaza border, with a concrete wall being built around the perimeter”. An unidentified Egyptian official also suggested to the US newspaper that the move is likely a contingency plan for what Egypt sees as a “worst-case scenario”.
Egypt has vehemently rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians into its territory.
🚩English below:
شاركت مؤسسة سيناء مع صحيفة واشنطن بوست @washingtonpost ، المعلومات التي توصلت إليها فيما يتعلق بالجهود المصرية لتطهير منطقة كبيرة بالقرب من حدود غزة سرًا، ربما لاستيعاب اللاجئين الفلسطينيين الفارين من الغزو الإسرائيلي المحتمل لرفح.
وقالت صحيفة واشنطن بوست إن… pic.twitter.com/yK0QcLNWmo
— Sinai for Human Rights (@Sinaifhr) February 15, 2024
The Sinai Foundation shared with the Washington Post its findings regarding Egyptian efforts to secretly clear a large area near the Gaza border, possibly to accommodate Palestinian refugees fleeing from a likely upcoming Israeli invasion of Rafah. The footage and satellite images we shared with the Washington Post showed that construction was already underway.
