Despite regional and international warnings, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu insists on another massacre, urging his troops to prepare a full-scale military operation in the southern Gaza City of Rafah, which will merely exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The Israeli government, which has failed to attain its stated goals in its war on Gaza — destroy the Hamas movement, detain its leaders and release Israeli hostages — will not hesitate to do anything to save face even if it comes at the expense of civilians. Moreover, Palestinians and Arabs should be cautious, since the repeated failures by Netanyahu-led government will push them to commit any atrocities that could threaten the stability of the whole region and drive it into war.
Egypt has repeatedly warned against Israel’s launch of a ground offensive in Rafah, stressing that Rafah crossing has never been closed since the start of the war on Gaza and that it will continue its efforts to ensure the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave.
Israel still releases provocative statements against Egypt, revealing their desire for further killings and destruction.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as “unacceptable” and “provocative” since it was he who stated that Cairo has “considerable responsibility” for the Hamas October 7 attack.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said it was “unfortunate and disgraceful” that the Israeli minister “continues to make irresponsible and inflammatory statements.”
“Egypt fully controls its territory, and does not allow any party to name Egypt in failed attempts to justify its own shortcomings,” Abu Zeid said.
From the first moment of Israel’s clashes with Palestinian factions, the Egyptian government has been following up the situation closely, while coordinating and communicating continually with all key players to contain the situation in Gaza and call for a truce in the Israeli war.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi reiterated in many occasions Egypt’s categorical rejection of the evacuation of Palestinians into Sinai.
But despite all international warnings, Israel’s war cabinet insists on attacking Rafah against defenceless Palestinians, who have escaped the hell of Israeli fire over the past five months, and who are now desperate to find a safe hiding place where they can protect themselves from the Israeli massacres, since they are surrounded by the sea in the west, Israel from the east, and Egypt from the south.
The looming Israeli offensive on Rafah reveals Israel’s real intention behind its war on Gaza, which is the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza into Egypt’s Sinai.
Everyone should realise that land equals honour and that the loss of land means the loss of honour. Every Egyptian is ready to sacrifice his life if others try to transgress this unwritten law.
Mohamed Fahmy is the editor-in-chief of The Egyptian Gazette and
Egyptian Mail newspapers
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