(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) –Egyptian and Israeli military personnel exchanged gunfire in the border area near the Palestinian city of Rafah, which is currently under heavy attack by Israeli forces.
Sources from Egypt told Arab media outlets that one Egyptian soldier was confirmed killed and several others were injured in the incident, which will likely escalate tensions along the border between the two nations.
“The Egyptian military did not initiate the exchange of fire with the Israeli forces,” an Egyptian military source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, noting that the incident is under investigation by the Israeli military.
Meanwhile, seven Israeli soldiers were reportedly wounded in the exchange of fire with the Egyptian forces in the border area.
The Israeli military has currently blocked any news releases about the incident.
Following the event, security sources told The New Arab news portal that the Egyptian military had increased its security measures in the Northern Sinai border area, which was seized by Israeli forces earlier this month.
“Israeli soldiers fired shots, and only afterward fired warning shots before fleeing the scene,” said a security source, who wished to remain anonymous due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
At present, little information is available about this worrying incident, but unverified reports confirm that Israeli forces have retreated from the area in the Palestinian part of Rafah.
Although Egypt technically made peace with Israel in the late 1970s, the Egyptian public disagrees with their government’s decision to sign a peace treaty with Tel Aviv.
Diplomatically and commercially, Egypt treats Israel as a friendly nation with interests in various sectors, but tensions have soared following Tel Aviv’s ongoing war against Palestine since October of last year.
Diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries have deteriorated further following Israel’s continued intent to attack Rafah, despite repeated requests from global nations, including its main ally, the United States, to refrain from doing so.
Egypt and the United States have asked Israel to cancel its plans to attack Rafah, a city home to 1.4 million people, but this has been ignored by Tel Aviv, which continues its intentions to strike the Palestinian city.
The Israeli assault on Rafah, which began earlier this month, has further worsened the already tense situation in Gaza following the closure of the Rafah border crossing area in northern Sinai.
The border crossing area with Egypt is located in the Salah Al-Din (Philadelphi) corridor, a buffer zone controlled by Egyptian security forces.
Together with the Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, the Rafah crossing at this border is crucial for humanitarian missions for residents now facing severe starvation issues. — DSA