Egypt threatens to suspend 'peace accords' if 'Israel' invades Rafah

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Associated Press
11 Feb 2024 18:08
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Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat have stated that in case "Israel" makes the move, Egypt would be forced to block the Rafah crossing, currently the only humanitarian corridor that is supplying Gaza with aid.

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli genocide on the Gaza Strip take shelter near the border fence with Egypt in Rafah, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024 (AP)

Egypt has threatened to dissolve its normalization agreement with "Israel" if the occupation deploys condensed forces along its border with the Gazan city of Rafah.

Two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat stated on Sunday that in case "Israel" makes the move, Egypt would be forced to block the Rafah crossing, currently the only humanitarian corridor that is supplying Gaza with relief aid.

This comes a day after Cairo sent warnings to "Israel" regarding their diplomatic relations - that these may cease in case the Israeli forces launch a full-scale invasion of the city of Rafah, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"Any ground operation in Rafah would lead to an immediate suspension of the peace treaty between the two countries," the report says, citing sources.

The officials told WSJ that a delegation from Cairo recently paid a visit to Israeli counterparts in "Tel Aviv" to specifically discuss the situation in Rafah.

"Israeli officials are trying to get Egypt to agree on some cooperation regarding the ground invasion, which Egyptian officials are resisting," the officials said.

Could it be a new war front?

The suspension of the Camp David Accords would have serious repercussions on the region, and would drastically escalate tensions in the region, specifically if trade on aid supply routes is suspended.

Before the accords were established, "Israel" waged five wars on Egypt. Egypt has since fortified its borders with the occupation by constructing barrier walls that serve as a buffer zone.

However, as 1.5 million Palestinians now populate Rafah as a result of the indiscriminate Israeli bombing of Gaza, Egypt fears a flux of migration across its borders if Netanyahu launches his invasion.

According to Egyptian sources, Egypt has been redeploying several M60A3 Patton main battle tanks and YPR-765 infantry fighting vehicles in the vicinity of the Rafah border crossing in recent days.

Deteriorating relations between Egypt and "Israel"

In January, the head of the Egyptian Information Service Diaa Rashwan confirmed that Israeli attempts to control the Philadelphi axis pose a grave threat to Egyptian-Israeli relations.

In a statement on the State Information Service (SIS) website, Rashwan said that "the recent period has seen numerous statements from Israeli officials, particularly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, making claims and false accusations regarding the alleged smuggling operations of weapons, explosives, ammunition, and other components into the Gaza Strip from Egyptian territory.

He further emphasized the Israeli persistence in promoting these falsehoods is an effort to justify its intent to seize control of the "Philadelphi Axis" or the Salah al-Din Corridor within the Gaza Strip along the border with Egypt. "This action constitutes a breach of the security agreements and protocols previously signed between him and Egypt."

Rashwan stressed that "It must be strictly emphasized that any Israeli move in this direction will seriously threaten Egyptian-Israeli relations."