Trucks carrying aid wait in front of the Rafah border crossing on 2 March 2025 in Rafah, Egypt. [Getty]
Egypt has denounced renewed Israeli airstrikes on different parts of the Gaza Strip, amid fears in Cairo that the collapse of the ceasefire in the Palestinian territory will sabotage efforts to bring calm back, and opening the door once again for wider regional violence.
There are also fears in Cairo that the same attacks will derail the Egyptian plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.
In a strongly worded statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry described the attacks as a “flagrant violation” of the Gaza ceasefire, one that portends dire consequences for regional stability.
“Egypt categorically rejects Israeli aggressions that aim to bring tensions back to the region and foil efforts to bring calm back and restore stability,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in its statement.
The Israeli attacks, launched early on Tuesday, came after almost three weeks of intense indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel in Doha and Cairo, ones in which US special envoy, Steve Witkoff, proposed new ideas for the extension of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire which started in mid-January.
The US envoy’s proposal reportedly included the release by Hamas of half the captives in the Gaza-ruling group’s custody at the beginning of a ceasefire extension that would last until mid-April.
The remaining captives in Hamas’ custody would be released if an agreement is reached on ending the war, as per the bridge proposal put on the table by the US envoy.
Around 24 captives are believed to be still remaining in Hamas’ custody, including 22 Israeli nationals, one Thai national and one national of Nepal.
Israel’s renewed attacks on Gaza also come amid belief that Tel Aviv wants to pressure Hamas to accept the bridge proposal submitted by Witkoff.
Israeli far-right politicians have been accusing Hamas of procrastinating to buy more ceasefire time.
Israel also claims the Palestinian group of preparing to stage a new round of attacks, but Hamas has denied such accusations.
The Israeli attacks against Gaza have so far left over 400 people dead, and wounded at least another 400. Dozens of victims also remain under the rubble of their attacked homes, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Kick them out
Renewed Israeli attacks on Gaza come amid Egyptian fears that they aim to force the people of Gaza to flee on the road to turning US President Donald Trump’s blueprint for a “Middle East Riviera” in Gaza into a reality.
Despite assurances by the US president earlier this week that “nobody is expelling any Palestinians”, Israel has been working hard to depopulate Gaza to implement the US president’s plan, Egyptian analysts said.
“Depopulating Gaza is a principal Israeli plan that faces strong opposition from Egypt and other Arab states,” Egyptian international relations specialist Ahmed Abdel Meguid told The New Arab.
“This plan also faces insistence by the people of Gaza to stay put, despite all the atrocities they are experiencing,” he added.
The fear in Egypt is that the new round of Israeli attacks, which will likely continue for a long time to come, will force hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents to flee into Egypt’s Sinai, the Egyptian territory that borders both Gaza and Israel.
Such a scenario, Egyptian analysts said, would put Egypt in a critical situation, forcing it to accommodate those escaping with their lives.
However, this will open the door for tensions between Egypt and Israel.
On 4 March, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi cited the 1979 peace treaty with Israel in establishing a legal imperative against creating conditions that force inhabitants from their land.
“This will constitute a serious violation of the obligation to uphold the sanctity of secure borders,” the Egyptian president said, addressing Arab leaders and senior officials congregated for an emergency Arab summit in Egypt that day.
Egypt had repeatedly rejected President Trump’s proposal that it takes in Gaza refugees.
Uncertain future
The new attacks also came as Egypt worked hard to rally up international support for its plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Cairo is expected to host an international conference on Gaza’s reconstruction next month, during which it will try to raise the required funds for the rebuilding of the war-devastated Palestinian territory.
The Egyptian plan for Gaza’s reconstruction, endorsed by Arab states during the summit, and Muslim nations almost four days later, rolls out specific steps for rebuilding the war-ravaged Palestinian territory in five years.
It includes an early recovery phase that will extend over six months, during which hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents will be given temporary shelters and necessities until around 50 million tonnes of debris are removed from different parts of the coastal enclave.
This early recovery phase is expected to cost $3 billion, as per the Egyptian plan.
The second phase of the plan will extend over two years and will include the construction of around 200,000 flats at the cost of $20 billion, whereas the third phase will last for two and a half years and will cost $30 billion. The third phase of the plan will include the construction of an additional 200,000 flats.
Added to around 30,000 homes that have not been totally destroyed during Israel’s 15-month genocidal war on Gaza, the aforementioned 400,000 flats will accommodate the population increase in Gaza until 2030 when the population reaches 3 million, according to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
The Gaza reconstruction plan also includes—among other things—the construction of a seaport, a fishing port and an international airport.
The US had initially rejected the plan, but then cited positive points in it.
Israel had categorically turned down the same plan, referring to its failure in addressing the future of Gaza’s governance and the need to keep Hamas totally away.
Israel’s renewed attacks on Gaza also aim to complete its “mission” of obliterating Hamas altogether, one that had not been accomplished during the past one and a half year of attacks on the coastal enclave, Palestinian analysts said.
Nonetheless, the same attacks roll back all Egyptian efforts to bring Gaza back to life, they added.
“This is why Egypt is expected to work hard in the coming hours to form an international lobby that pressures Israel into suspending its attacks,” Palestinian political analyst Jehad el-Harazin told TNA.
“Egyptian contacts in these hours will mainly aim to sabotage the Israeli plan to bring us back to square one,” he added.
