Watan-American media reported that the Abdel Fattah el-Sisi regime in Egypt assisted Israel and the United States in extracting an “uncle and mother” of an American soldier from the besieged Gaza Strip on the eve of the New Year 2024. This secret operation was coordinated between the United States, Israel, and Egypt.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Egyptians remain stranded at the Rafah border crossing for three months without being able to enter their country. This occurs at a time when the el-Sisi regime is participating in the blockade of Gaza and complying with the dictates of the Israelis.
An American agency reveals the details
According to officials who spoke to the Associated Press, the mother and uncle of Raji Skak, a member of the U.S. military, were evacuated from the Gaza Strip in an operation coordinated by the United States, Israel, and Egypt.
This is the only known operation of its kind to evacuate American citizens and their close family members during months of intense fighting and brutal Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.
Silence for Security Reasons
Zahra Skak, 44 years old, left Gaza on the eve of the New Year with her son-in-law, Farid Skik, who is an American citizen, according to a U.S. official who spoke to the Associated Press.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to confirm the rescue operation, which was kept confidential for security reasons.
Zahra’s husband, Abdullah Skak, was fatally shot earlier in the war while the family was fleeing a building hit by an Israeli airstrike and passed away a few days later.
One of her three American sons, 24-year-old Raji Skak, serves as an infantryman in the U.S. Army.
Washington Engaged with Sisi’s Intelligence
The American official told the Associated Press that the extraction operation involved the Israeli occupation army and local Israeli officials. There was no indication of the presence of American officials on the ground in Gaza.
The official stated, “The United States played only a role of communication and coordination between the Skak family and the Israeli government and Egypt.”
Only limited details are available about the field operation in the Gaza Strip, which took place after extensive appeals from the Skak family and U.S.-based groups for assistance from members of Congress and the Biden administration.
According to the agency’s report, the U.S. State Department mentioned that approximately 300 American citizens, legal permanent residents, and their immediate family members are still stranded in Gaza, exposed to the danger of Israeli airstrikes, the widening circle of famine, and thirst within the besieged enclave.