Israeli-Egyptian Coordination Ahead of Rafah Operation
Watan-The coordination between Israeli and Egyptian authorities continues in the war waged by the Israeli army on the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing since October 7th of last year.
As part of this coordination, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Hertzl HaLevi, and the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, visited Cairo to reassure their Egyptian counterparts that Israel would take steps to ensure that the Rafah operation does not result in a flow of Palestinian refugees to Egypt.
This was reported by the American site Axios, citing informed American sources.
The visit, made by two senior officials of the Israeli army, highlights the importance the Israeli government places on its security relationship with Egypt.
Cairo had previously warned that the influx of Palestinian refugees to Egypt, into the Sinai Peninsula, could strain relations between Egypt and Israel.
The visit occurred amid growing global concerns, including within Egypt and the United States, that any Israeli operation in Rafah, where over 1.4 million Palestinians reside, many of whom have fled from other areas in Gaza, would result in a significant number of Palestinian casualties and the flow of Palestinian refugees to Egypt.
Coordination with Egypt before the Rafah operation
Israeli officials stated that coordination with Egypt is a prerequisite for any future operation in Rafah. American officials said that HaLevi and Bar met with the head of Egyptian intelligence and senior officers in the Egyptian army to discuss the potential Israeli operation in Rafah.
HaLevi and Bar presented to the Egyptian officials their ideas on how the Israeli operation in Rafah would be carried out in a way that would prevent the flow of Palestinian refugees to Egypt, according to the American officials without further details.
Israeli insistence and international warnings
The Israeli war cabinet, known as the “Cabinet,” discussed a plan to evacuate Palestinians from Rafah as part of Tel Aviv’s plan to invade it.
This came despite international warnings of the danger to the densely populated city of refugees who have sought it as a last refuge south of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, which could lead to an influx of Palestinian refugees into Egypt.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement: “The Israeli army reviewed during the war cabinet session a plan to evacuate residents from combat areas in Gaza and operational plans for the next stages.”
While Netanyahu’s office did not specify the areas discussed, the Hebrew-language website “Times of Israel” reported that “the discussion revolves around Rafah.”
Netanyahu had earlier stated that an invasion of Rafah might be “slightly” postponed if the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas presented “more reasonable demands” leading to a deal to release Israeli prisoners held in the Strip.
