Tensions have escalated on the Egyptian-Israeli border in recent hours, following reports of Israeli shelling on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing and the Israeli forces taking control of the crossing in the early hours of Tuesday, amid information about Israeli troop buildups in the border area.
Press reports indicated that the "Egyptian armed forces have deployed troops and vehicles to the east and west of the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian side," clarifying that "these forces are in a state of alert and complete readiness," at a time when Cairo is witnessing a new round of ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel.
Israeli media showed that the Israeli army had taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, a vital point between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, on Tuesday, having advanced into the city located in the southern sector after airstrikes conducted the previous night.
Egypt condemned the Israeli military operations in "Palestinian Rafah" in "strongest terms," and the resulting Israeli control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. The "Egyptian Foreign Ministry," in a statement on Tuesday, regarded the Israeli control of the crossing as a "serious escalation threatening the lives of more than one million Palestinians."
The Egyptian statement called on the Israeli side to "exercise maximum restraint and avoid the policy of the brinkmanship with far-reaching implications," warning that it "threatens efforts to reach a sustainable ceasefire within the Gaza Strip." A high-ranking source reported that an Egyptian security delegation warned their Israeli counterparts of "the consequences of invading the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side."
These rapid military developments come just hours before new talks scheduled to be hosted by Cairo on Tuesday, aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement that will involve representatives from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, in addition to delegations from Israel and Hamas.
