Senior Egyptian official Diaa Rashwan, the chairman of Egypt’s State Information Service, said that any Israeli move to take control of the Philadelphi Corridor, the buffer strip between Gaza and Egypt, will endanger relations between the two countries.
His remarks were made in the wake of recent statements by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that Israel must control the Philadelphi Corridor to thwart further arms smuggling operations to Gazan terror groups via the Egyptian-Gazan border.
Rashwan asserted: “Any Israeli move in this direction will lead to a serious threat to Israeli-Egyptian relations.” He then accused Israel of telling falsehoods about weapons reaching Hamas via the Gazan-Egyptian border. “Israel’s lies are intended to legitimize the occupation of the Philadelphi Corridor, contrary to international agreements.”
He dismissed claims that weapons and funds were smuggled to Hamas in Gaza via Egypt, including in trucks delivering humanitarian aid to the Strip. “These are ridiculous accusations,” he claimed. “They do not serve Egypt’s efforts to resolve the crisis. Egypt destroyed over 1,500 tunnels and reinforced the 14-kilometer [almost nine miles] border fence with Gaza with a concrete wall. There are three checkpoints between Sinai and Palestinian Rafah so no smuggling is possible above or below ground.”
He also claimed that “Egypt has full sovereignty over its land and has full control over its borders with the Gaza Strip and Israel. Israel militarily controls Gaza and imposes a siege on the Strip from three directions and yet accuses Egypt without any proof.”
Netanyahu said at a press conference ten days ago that “the Philadelphi Corridor is one option for what I call a southern barrier. We will not end the war without closing this breach. Otherwise, we will eliminate Hamas, overrun Gaza, and then more weapons will enter through this southern breach. It is clear that it needs to be closed. There are several options and we have not yet made a decision.”
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Israeli officials informed Egypt that they are planning to carry out a military operation to take control of the border area between Egypt and Gaza. Subsequent media reports said that Egypt had refused to cooperate with Israel on the plan and would even view any steps in that direction as an act of war.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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WOW……well…..do they know their fate…..do they…..wow, how many more enemies will stand up…..time to separate us, time to remove these and this from Jerusalem period……let us live in the honesty and sanction we were designed to explore even with the heathens amount us….we walked 40 years with accumulated filth and idols as well, we made it…..till today more than any other civilization….clean up Jerusalem of the garbage and inform those who travel to dress accordingly to our custom……honoring Hashem….begin today….why not….it is still the first day of our lives……