Israel Declares War in Gaza Until at Least the End of 2024
A major shock with a new kind of war unfolding inside the Gaza Strip, as Israeli forces conduct combat operations within the city of Rafah in the southern part of the strip. Amidst UN demands to stop the bloodshed and for Israel to return to the negotiating table, which was halted after the invasion of Rafah, the duration of the war, now entering its eighth month, seems to be a long-term conflict for the Israeli army, reminiscent of the October 1973 war.
While the world currently focuses on Rafah and rejects Israeli practices, Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi confirmed that the Israeli army controls 75% of the Philadelphi Route, a buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt. He added in statements to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, “Inside Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces now control 75% of the Philadelphi Route, and I believe it will control it entirely over time.”
Controversial Statements
Hanegbi continued, in controversial statements, that he expects the fighting in Gaza to continue throughout 2024 at least. Tension has clouded Egypt-Israel relations since May 7, following Tel Aviv’s control of the Palestinian side of the crossing, and Cairo’s refusal to coordinate with it for management, before Egypt decided to join South Africa’s lawsuit at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israeli authorities of genocide in Gaza. Recently, the martyrdom of an Egyptian soldier at the border after clashes with Israeli soldiers has sparked Arab anger against Israel.
Tense Egypt-Israel Relations
Egypt-Israel relations are generally marked by unprecedented tension since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, following an attack by the movement on settlements around the Gaza Strip. The war has claimed the lives of more than 36,000 Palestinians and injured nearly 100,000 others, in addition to thousands still under the rubble, with hundreds of thousands forced to flee to save their lives.
Egypt, which has repeatedly warned Tel Aviv against the consequences of the ongoing escalation, sponsors stalled negotiations alongside Qatar and the United States to reach a ceasefire agreement and an exchange of hostages between the Israeli and Palestinian sides. However, the negotiations have not yet borne fruit amid mutual accusations between the different parties regarding their failure.
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A few days ago, a senior Egyptian source said that Cairo’s respect for its international commitments and treaties does not prevent it from using all available scenarios to preserve its national security and protect the historical rights of the Palestinian people, according to official Egyptian media.
