(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — In addition to tanks and armored vehicles, Egypt has also reportedly deployed its S-75 Dvina air defense system to its border area with Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
The move to deploy air defense systems to the border with Gaza has surprised many, as Egypt has never done so before, except during its wars with Israel, decades ago.
The decision to deploy the S-75 air defense system to the border with the Gaza Strip comes as Israel is making final preparations to launch a military operation to strike Rafah.
Besides the S-75 Dvina air defense system, the Egyptian military has also deployed more than 40 M60 tanks to its border in Rafah to enhance security control at its borders.
The S-75 Dvina air defense system, a Soviet-era system, is known for its durability and reliability.
First seen on the battlefield in 1957, the S-75 Dvina gained fame after successfully shooting down a U.S. U-2 spy plane over Soviet airspace in 1960.
Egypt is said to have reverse-engineered the S-75 Dvina system and developed a local variant known as “Tayir-as-Sabah,” which is reported to be more advanced than the S-75 Dvina system.
The decision by Israel to strike Rafah, which is now home to more than 1.5 million Palestinian refugees fleeing from the north of the Gaza Strip, has been condemned worldwide, including by Tel Aviv’s strong supporter, the United States.
Against the backdrop of Israel’s threat to strike Rafah, Egypt has issued a stern warning to Tel Aviv that it will suspend the peace agreement signed between the two countries in 1979 if the Israeli military attacks the Palestinian city, forcing its residents to flee to the Sinai Peninsula.
The Egyptian government’s stern warning to Israel, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, raises the possibility of armed conflict between the two neighboring countries that have previously been involved in several wars.
In recent days, the Israeli military has ordered more than 1 million Palestinian refugees fleeing to Rafah from northern Gaza to leave the area immediately, as Tel Aviv plans to carry out a military operation.
Hamas and several Arab governments have stated that the Israeli military operation against Rafah is likely to result in thousands more innocent Palestinian deaths.
Rafah, located on the border between Gaza and Egypt, is the last major Palestinian city that has not been invaded by Israeli forces so far and has been a safe haven from the country’s massive attacks for the past four months.
It has become a settlement for more than 1.5 million Palestinian refugees fleeing cities in northern Gaza after Israel began its ground operation several months ago.
Observers in Egypt claim that Israel has a malicious agenda of using its military operation in the Gaza Strip to drive Palestinian residents into the desert areas of the Sinai Peninsula belonging to Egypt.
The action by Israel has been strongly condemned by the Egyptian government.
The Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly aiming to “empty” the Gaza Strip of Palestinian residents, allowing it to reoccupy the Gaza Strip. — DSA