Reports have sparked fears among Palestinians of a potential complete expulsion from the Gaza Strip, as many have already been forced to relocate within Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli assault. There is significant anxiety among Palestinians and their Arab neighbors regarding the possibility of being compelled to leave Gaza since the onset of Israel's devastating attack.
While Israel states that it will launch an assault on Rafah, concerns have intensified following claims that Egypt is preparing emergency plans to accommodate Palestinians if necessary, although Egypt denies making any such preparations, and Israel also denies intentions to deport Palestinians from Gaza.
Alfateh al-Nahal, a displaced person in Rafah, expressed that there is no guarantee they can return home if they go to Egypt, and this would be a repetition of the "Nakba," when about 700,000 Palestinians were forced to flee their homes during the war that followed the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948.
Four sources informed Reuters that Egypt has begun preparing an area on the Gaza border to accommodate Palestinians should an Israeli attack on Rafah lead to mass displacement across the border, confirming that this is an emergency plan.
The head of the Egyptian Information Authority stated, “This is completely baseless. Our Palestinian brothers and Egypt have said there is no preparation for such a possibility.” Despite denying any such preparations, Egypt has consistently warned that the destructive Israeli attack on Gaza could lead to Palestinian displacement to Sinai, which Cairo considers completely unacceptable.
Other Arab countries, particularly Jordan, which has hosted large numbers of Palestinians displaced in 1948 and after the 1967 war when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip, have echoed these warnings. The United States has also repeatedly stated its opposition to any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
Israel claims the operation targets Hamas's destruction rather than the expulsion of Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz stated today that Israel has no plans to deport Palestinians from Gaza and will find a way to avoid harming Egypt's interests. However, some Israeli ministers have called for the resettlement of Palestinians outside Gaza.
Two Israeli officials contacted by Reuters on Friday declined to comment on reports of the Egyptian emergency plan. Israel stated that its military is preparing a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah to other areas of Gaza.
Concerns of a "Second Nakba"
Um Zaki, currently living in a tent in Rafah, mentioned that she has no refuge to go to with her five children after already fleeing twice. The 49-year-old woman told Reuters via phone that the Israelis might force them into Sinai by sending tanks, and that some people would not hesitate to climb the wall to escape with their lives and save their children, stating that no one could blame them for that.
She voiced her concerns that this scenario could lead to a Second Nakba with no return to Gaza. She remarked that Arab nations in 1948 reassured their people in places like Jaffa that their return would be a matter of days, yet 75 years have passed since the displacement.
She questioned the potential for a last-minute agreement to save Rafah and Gaza, hoping for a miracle. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told Reuters on Friday that the influx of refugees from Rafah to Egypt would be catastrophic, emphasizing that Egyptian authorities have made it clear that Palestinians in the Strip must be assisted.
Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, told Reuters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, “It will be a catastrophe for Palestinians... a catastrophe for Egypt and a catastrophe for the future of peace.”
Martin Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, stated on Thursday that the idea of relocating people in Gaza to a safe place is pure "illusion," warning of the possibility of Palestinians flowing into Egypt if Israel conducts a military operation in Rafah. He described this scenario as "a nightmare for Egypt."
