Egypt is moving to avert a mass exodus from the Gaza Strip into its Sinai Peninsula, as Israeli bombardment halted crossings at the main exit point from the Palestinian enclave on Tuesday, Gaza officials and Egyptian security sources said.
  • Rafah crossing closed following Israeli bombardments
  • Crossing is main gateway to outside world for Gazans
  • Egypt concerned Israeli assault will drive displacement
  • Israel revised recommendation for people to head south

Egypt is moving to avert a mass exodus from the Gaza Strip into its Sinai Peninsula, as Israeli bombardment halted crossings at the main exit point from the Palestinian enclave on Tuesday, Gaza officials and Egyptian security sources said.

Israel’s assault on Gaza has caused alarm in Egypt, which has urged Israel to provide safe passage for civilians from the enclave rather than encouraging them to flee southwest towards Sinai, two Egyptian security sources said.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Tuesday that the escalation in Gaza was “highly dangerous” and that Egypt was pursuing a negotiated solution to the violence with regional and international partners.

Egypt would not allow the issue to be settled at the expense of others, Sisi said in comments reported by state news agency MENA, an apparent reference to the risk that Palestinians could be pushed into Sinai.

The Rafah border crossing remained shut on Wednesday morning, after Egyptian military planes conducted flights nearby overnight, security sources said. The military has also taken up new positions close to the border, running patrols to monitor the area, said Ahmed Salem of the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights.

    • @flossdailyEnglish
      -2•1 year ago

      It IS fucked up. It’s also true.

      Palestinian refugees have been involved in political violence or rebellion many places, and that’s why you don’t see them opening their doors anymore. Here’s a couple:

      Jordan:

      • In 1970, during a period known as Black September, King Hussein of Jordan moved to suppress the autonomy of Palestinian organizations, particularly the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), in an effort to restore his monarchy’s rule over the country. This led to armed conflict which lasted until July 1971, resulting in the expulsion of the PLO and thousands of Palestinian fighters to Lebanon. The violence during this period resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people, the vast majority of whom were Palestinians ➊.

      Lebanon:

      • After being expelled from Jordan, the PLO resettled in Lebanon and began to extend de facto autonomous rule from there, staging raids into Israel. The presence and activities of the PLO were major factors for the sectarian destabilization of Lebanon, contributing to the eruption of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975. This continued with various conflicts and Israeli interventions in Lebanon until the PLO agreed to withdraw in 1982 following an Israeli invasion ➋.
      • @[email protected]English
        3•1 year ago

        Dude if you think the average Palestinian is a member of the PLO you’ve lost your mind.

        Sure Egypt doesn’t want to just “take in all of Gaza doors open”. There are a lot of reasons for that and among those reasons is that you will also have taken in most of hamas, which is s problem. But it’s not because “Palestinians are the villains here” or whatever fucked up shit you’re trying to say.