Egypt is preparing for the worst-case scenario for it in the Rafah area, which is a breakout of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip into the Sinai Peninsula, after the destruction of the border fence following the IDF operation in Rafah.

The Egyptian army already understands that the decision has been made in Israel to occupy the Rafah area and the "Philadelphia axis", and that this military action is only a matter of time. Despite Israel's promises to Egypt and the US that the occupation of the Rafah area will only be done after evacuating more than a million displaced people and moving them to the center of the Gaza Strip, the Egyptians are not taking any risks. They know that they will not be able to stop the influx of displaced people if they decide to breach the border fence with Egypt.

Therefore, according to Egyptian sources, the Egyptian army has begun construction work in eastern Sinai through a contracting company, in order to create a safe area isolated from the border with the Gaza Strip to receive the displaced persons in the event of mass migration as a result of IDF activities in the Rafah area. The area is intended to receive approximately 300 thousand displaced persons Palestinians in tents that will be erected there. This area will be surrounded by a 7 meter high concrete fence. The work in the area is intensive and will be completed within ten days.

The area is secured by the Egyptian army, which is assisted by intelligence officers and the "Forsan Elhaitham" militia of one of the Bedouin tribes, who helped the Egyptian army defeat the ISIS forces in the area.

Apparently, the Egyptian army estimates that the IDF will soon begin to occupy the Rafah area, and it wants to be prepared for all scenarios. The Egyptian army’s activity on the ground coincides with Egypt’s official position that it opposes any military action by the IDF in the Rafah area. The Egyptians understand that the IDF’s activity in the Palestinian territory does not constitute a violation of the security protocol between the two countries.

Egypt also advanced a tank battalion to the area to deter the displaced Palestinians from breaching the border fence. A few years ago, the Egyptian army already opened fire on Palestinians who tried to break through the border fence, but it will have difficulty stopping hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with live fire, for fear of mass slaughter.

The Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, warned that Israel’s occupation of the Rafah area would lead to a humanitarian disaster and a security explosion in the area, and would only complicate the situation.

(Yoni Ben Menachem)