On Monday, Egypt’s foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, called on Washington to communicate to Israel the potential repercussions of a ground incursion into Rafah, the southern Gaza city that currently shelters over a million displaced Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced his approval of plans for an operation in Rafah on Friday. Israel has been engaged in an extensive air and ground campaign in Gaza for more than five months, following a surprise attack by Hamas on October 7.
The attack resulted in the death of 1,100 people and the abduction of 250 others. The latest figures from the enclave’s Health Ministry reveal that Israeli forces have killed nearly 32,000 Palestinians, with the majority being women and children.
There has been significant international pressure, particularly from the US and Egypt, urging Netanyahu not to enter Rafah, where an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge since the war began.
US President Joe Biden, while defending Israel’s military actions, warned that an operation in Rafah would cross a “red line.” Shoukry emphasized the importance of not only expressing opposition but also outlining the consequences if that position is disregarded.
He made these remarks during a news conference in Cairo alongside the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini. Shoukry also called on the international community and the United States, who have expressed their opposition to such an eventuality, to clearly articulate the consequences if their appeals are ignored.
There is widespread concern that Israel’s planned ground offensive in Rafah will result in thousands of people crossing into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Egypt has previously dealt with such an influx and is wary of a repeat scenario.
